


Shattered Glass Animated

by Justmenoworries



Category: Transformers Animated (2007), Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Alternate Universe, Mirror Universe, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, this is basically Shattered Glass: the Transfomers Animated edition, yep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justmenoworries/pseuds/Justmenoworries
Summary: Long after the Great War has ended, a group of Decepticon explorers happen upon the AllSpark, an ancient artifact with immense power. A scuffle with the villainous Autobots leads to both groups getting stranded on earth, right in the middle of a despot's land.With the help of the city's very own resistance, will the Decepticons find their way back home and bring new hope to their people?Cross-posted from Tumbr.
Relationships: Megatron/Starscream (Transformers)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 75





	1. Transform And Rise Up, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stellar-cycles after the Great War has ended, a group of Decepticon - explorers encounter an artifact believed to be long lost. But they aren’t the only ones who desire it’s power...

“ _ **Many millions of years ago, war raged between the forces of the heroic Autobots and the brutal Decepticons for the control of the planet Cybertron. The Autobots battled valiantly in the name of honor, their courageous exploits bringing hop and glory to a beleaguered, war – torn planet and inspiring countless generations of young robots yet to come online.”**_

“Don’t you ever get tired of listening to that slag, oh great and glorious leader?”

Megatron, leader of the great Decepticon armies (or what remained of them these days) turned around in his seat to face the mech currently leaning on his door-frame, servos crossed and a smirk on his face plate.

Megatron couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his loyal second-in-command and friend. “Do you not find it interesting what they have to say about us, now that the Great War is over and they’ve driven us into exile, where we will never be able to object to this re-telling of events?”

“Honestly? No. Not one bit.”

Megatron chuckled, a sad gleam in his blue optics. “I suppose I shouldn’t either. Perhaps this is just my way of punishing myself, for having failed you all.”

A servo clasped his shoulder, making him look up. Starscream was looking at him, expression a lot softer now.

“You did not fail us. You led us to freedom from the Autobot tyranny. And in time you will lead us to greatness. I know you will.”

“You are too kind to me, Starscream,” Megatron responded, smiling softly. “But I know cheering me up would not be your only reason for coming here.”

“And you would be right. I am here to inform you that we are getting close to the coordinates. I figured you would like to be on the bridge, to see for yourself.”

Megatron nodded, turning his seat to switch off the monitor. “I will be there shortly. Go on ahead.”

* * *

Starscream stepped onto the bridge, thoughts still on Megatron. His leader’s apparent lethargy worried him. He had always known that Megatron took their defeat rather close to spark and with how many sacrifices and losses they had suffered, Starscream certainly couldn’t blame him.

Still, it disturbed him to see how bad Megatron’s mental condition actually seemed to have become over the last decacycles. Sure, their quest for the ancient artifact called the Allspark had been fruitless up until now, but they had managed to get at least a little grasp on the new empire and one could even say the Decepticons at large were slowly recovering.

Starscream had felt a kind of...tired, but steady hopefulness going around when they had last been on New Kaon that only seemed to increase the closer the date of their next expedition came. Whether it was the Decepticons finding strength in their leader still not giving up his search for a new future and a second chance or if the ever-present routine of finding what scarce resources the new colonies provided had given them something to hold onto, Starscream couldn’t say.

Perhaps it was a combination of the two.

The Decepticons had been defeated, but not broken.

They would return home someday. Real home. And Megatron would lead them there, Starscream knew it in his spark.

Pulling himself out of his daze, he crossed his servos and steered his attention to the Nemesis’ large front monitor. According to it, they were only a few cycles away from their destination, an asteroid field. Starscream didn’t like to admit it, but he was feeling uneasy.

He had no doubt the ‘Nemesis’ would be able to pull through without problems, she was one of their finest ships after all, but the area was Autobot - territory. And although their data stated it had been long abandoned, with only a few repair-bots being send to check up on a nearby space bridge from time to time, due to it being on the farthest outskirts of the Autobot-Empire, there was still the risk of them being spotted.

They had barely managed to get away from the Autobots at the end of the war. Drawing their attention as a Decepticon was a guarantee for going off-line these solar cycles. The Empire was determined to see them extinct, even more than they had been all these stellar cycles ago, when Megazarak had founded the Decepticons.  
  
Amnesty and exile hardly mattered, when a ‘bot could always claim that it had been the Decepticon who had attacked first and that the ensuing gruesome slaughter of said Decepticon was entirely justified and in self-defense.

“We are flying into our death,” a deep voice growled behind him.  
  
Starscream didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. His claws started digging themselves into his lower arms.

“Megatron wouldn’t lead us anywhere he knew our sparks would be in danger, Lugnut,” he replied coldly.

With a derisive huff, a giant Decepticon with a single blue optic, currently narrowed with doubt, stepped up next to him.

“Is that not what he has been doing for the last 4 million solar-cycles? Spending precious time and resources on a futile search across the galaxy, promising our people hope in form of a long-lost relic. Perhaps it would be better for us all if-”

“’If another stepped forward to lead the Decepticon-cause into a glorious new age away from the Autobot - Empire.’, yeah, yeah. We all remember that little speech from the last hundred times you gave it, Lugnut,” another voice, this time female cut in.

The door to the bridge had opened to admit two more Decepticons, one a small femme with arachnid-like features, the other a mech about Starscream’s height, wearing a soft, only slightly nervous smile.  
  
“Now, now Blackarachnia, I believe we are all a little on edge,” he said, in a thick accent Starscream had never quite been able to place. “Turning on one another will not help us. We should work together in these trying times.”

“Tell that to Doombot over here,” Blackarachnia snarled, jabbing her thumb at Lugnut and stomping right over to one of the ships control panels.  
  
Lugnut huffed. “You were not there, insect! You did not experience the horrors and tragedies the Great War has heaped upon us. If you did, you would not speak out of turn so easily. Mark my words, Megatron’s delusions will doom us all!”  
  
Starscream whirled around at that, glaring furiously up at him. “How dare you-!”  
  
Before he could finish, the doors swooped open again, revealing Megatron on the other side. The sadness and insecurity had left his face plate to be replaced by a neutral but steady expression. One of his optical sensors extended a bit, upon seeing how tense his fellow Decepticons were.  
  
Feeling a sense of shame rise up in their chest-plates, all of them quickly stood at attention to both sides of the bridge’s main platform.  
  
Megatron, being roughly able to imagine just what had taken place before he entered the room, sighed sadly and made his way over to the command chair, nodding to each of them as he passed them by. He knew he couldn’t exactly accept them to stay perfectly calm under these circumstances, but it still pained him to see them that nervous and on edge.  
  
“Starscream. How long until we arrive at our destination?” he asked, taking a seat.  
  
“Not much longer,”his second-in-command replied, positioning himself to the chair’s right. “We should reach the coordinates at any-”  
  
An alarm flared up on one of the monitors, making their heads turn. Blackarachnia hurried over to the console and typed in a few commands. The monitor displayed a graph in response, detailing recent energy readings.  
  
Her optical sensors widened. “Unbelievable...these readings...Megatron, they’re off the scale!”  
  
A stunned silence fell upon the room as every bot slowly realized what this discovery could mean.  
  
“Let us not rush ahead,” Megatron said finally, fighting to keep his voice calm. “Are the sensors properly adjusted? Did you scan at the right coordinates?”  
  
“Yes and yes. And that means...”  
  
“We found it,” Starscream finished quietly, lip plates slowly stretching into a wide smile.  
  
“After so many stellar-cycles,” Blitzwing muttered, staring at the screen in awe.  
Lugnut said nothing, his single optic tightening the only indicator that this discovery had affected him at all.  
  
“Blackarachnia,” Megatron said, servos tightening on the command chair’s armrest. “Can you pinpoint its exact location?”  
  
The techno-organic seemed to be in a bit of a stupor. Hearing his voice, she jumped a bit, but then quickly composed herself and tapped something into the keyboard.  
  
“It’s pretty strong,” she said. “But I managed to at least narrow its location down to somewhere around the asteroid field.”  
  
Megatron gave her an approving nod and stood up. “Good work. Blitzwing, Lugnut, Starscream. Come with me. Blackarachnia, continue to monitor us from the bridge. Contact us, should anything change or if another vessel approaches.“  
  
Blackarachnia nodded and turned back to the monitors.  
  
The other Decepticons made their way down to the airlock. Once the hatch opened, Megatron signaled them to follow.  
  
“Decepticons, transform and rise up!”  
  
The mechanical whirring and clicking of four bots changing their forms from robots to flying machines filled the tunnel, followed by the roar of jet propulsion as they took off, flying into the dark emptiness.  
  
The asteroid field was hard to miss. It filled a large chunk of their view, with rocks of all sizes floating this way and that, as they had done for presumably millennia. Nothing about it served to tell it apart from the million other ones of its kind, nothing apart from the steadily stronger energy reading emanating from it.  
  
The Decepticons flew in, careful to dodge the occasional stray asteroid as they did so.  
  
“We will break into two groups. Blitzwing, Lugnut, search the upper right part. Starscream and I will take the left. Contact us as soon as you find something,” Megatron ordered, already changing course.  
  
As soon as they had gotten a few miles into the field, both Megatron and Starscream changed back into robot-mode, activating their scanners.  
  
“Who would have thought?” Megatron mused, a lopsided smile on his faceplate. “50 billion stellar-cycles of searching and the place where we finally find the AllSpark might turn out to be a rock on an outskirt of the empire.”  
  
“Better than a rock floating in the inner circle of the empire,” Starscream replied, grinning and moving the scanner on his left servo up and down one of the asteroids.  
  
“I suppose you are right.”  
  
For a while both of them said nothing as they scanned each of the rocks carefully.  
  
”Starscream,” Megatron said suddenly. “If this expedition, too, proves fruitless, should I resign?”  
  
The other Decepticon turned to stare at him. “What makes you say that?”  
  
Megatron shrugged, smiling sadly. “I am merely thinking about our future. What kind of a leader am I to be, when all I have to show for my leadership are a lost war and the chase for a ghost?”  
  
He felt servos clasping his shoulders and all of a sudden he was abruptly turned around, face to face with a very angered Starscream.  
  
”Do not say that! You have given Decepticon-kind so much. It is because of you that we’re here, that we’re free! Megatron, I-,” Starscream clenched his denta and looked downward, faceplate flushing as if he was ashamed of what he was about to say. “ _You_ are our leader. Megazarak chose you. And no matter what anyone might say, I will remain by your side. Always.”  
  
Megatron stared at him, baffled and awed by his words. Slowly, he lifted a servo to his friends’ faceplate. “Starscream...”  
  
Before he could say anything more, both of their scanners piped up at the same time. The two of them moved apart immediately turning their helms into the direction indicated to them. A small asteroid floated alongside them. It was entirely unremarkable and if not for their scans, they would have not doubt missed it completely. Except for one thing: a tiny glimmer shining through a thin crack on its surface.  
  
Optics never leaving the light, Megatron raised a servo to his audial to activate his comlink. “Lugnut, Blitzwing. Come to Starscream’s and my position.”  
  
”Have you found it?” Blitzwing’s voice sounded over the frequency, a silver of excitement in it.  
  
”We might have,” Megatron answered.  
  
A few seconds later, all four Decepticons were gathered around the rock.  
  
”Should we blast it out?” Starscream asked, cocking his helm.  
  
”No. It might be damaged,” Megatron answered. He crossed his servos and tapped his chin thoughtfully. Finally, he turned to Blitzwing. “Use your ice canons to freeze the area around it. Take care not to hit it directly.”  
  
Blitzwing nodded, looking slightly nervous. Lowering his canons, he fired two concentrated blast of ice around the crack. Once he was finished, Megatron gave him an approving pat on the shoulder and turned to Lugnut.  
  
”Shatter it. But do not use your explosives.”  
  
Lugnut inclined his head towards him, then floated over to the asteroid, as the rest of the team took cover. He raised his right servo and brought it down on the asteroid’s surface. The stone shattered with a loud crack, ice and rock shards flying and stopping to float.  
  
The light, once dimmed by its coarse prison, now shone unimpeded, a warm, stark white-blue glow that engulfed everything around it. Now that the asteroid’s surface no longer covered it, the Decepticons could see it was some sort of hexagonal container, iron handles all round it.  
  
The four of them stared at it in awe.  
  
Megatron was the first of them to regain his senses.  
  
”We must get it back on to the ship,” he said, already activating his thrusters to move towards the artifact. The others quickly followed him, still to dazzled to speak.  
  
Unbeknownst to them, a small ship, hidden a few yards away behind some asteroids was watching their every move.  
  


* * *

  
  
Onboard the Autobot ship, a young Autobot named Optimus Prime narrowed his bright red optics at his scanner. The black markings on his face-plate, evoking the image of a black beard shifted as he twisted his lip plates into a snarl. It had detected four signatures near the enormous energy reading he and his underlings had been following. And that was unacceptable for two reasons:  
  
One was that the Decepticons had been crushed by the Autobot empire stellar-cycles ago. Ultra Magnus, in an unusual moment of mercy (and senility, if you asked Optimus) had granted them the chance to drag their miserable chassis out of the Autbots’ territory. Yet here these four were, prancing around in it as if they had every right to. It was an insult.  
  
Second was that they were entirely too close to the energy reading for his liking. If any bot was to get their servos on the AllSpark, the artifact of legends from which all sparks had been formed it would be him. It was his destiny, Optimus knew, just like it was his destiny to lead. When he had dragged this crew of insubordinate malfunctions together, he’d sworn to himself to make their oh-so-esteemed Magnus pay for exiling him and he fully intended to fulfill that vow. But to do that, he needed power. And a lot of it.  
  
His dark green servos tightened into fists as he glared at the offending four little red dots on his display.  
  
“Well, here’s a surprise,” an older bot mused, lazily leaning back in his console chair, green and black colored armorplating creaking in protest. “And here I thought we were the only bots crazy enough to enter this spark-forsaken sector.”  
  
Optimus raised his helm to give the old bot a seething look. A renowned field medibot Ratchet may be, but Optimus held no love for the older bots’ attitude. There seemed to be nothing he truly took seriously and his lack of respect often drove Optimus to reconsider just _how_ much he needed this old rust-bucket. However he was still a lot less irritating than...  
  
“Well? Are we going to interfere, or are you going to just watch and let them get away?” ...Prowl. The meager alleged Ninjabot who’s armorplating’s stark wide coloration had always struck Optimus to be more than a bit contradictory to his profession had turned around to give him his usual condescending look, somehow even visible underneath the red visor covering up his optics.  
  
An oil-curdling giggle rose from the left-most panel, but it immediately subsided once Optimus turned his attention to the offender, a small bot with white and black armorplating and slightly riffled lip plates. Optimus sneered. Bumblebee was a no-good coward and a sadist, but at least he knew when to mute it. Perhaps that was why he seemed to get along with Bulkhead so well.  
  
The big, purple, hulking giant of a bot seemingly had nothing to say to this matter. Then again, that would have required for anything to go on in that thick processor of his, Optimus thought.  
  
Turning his attention back to Prowl he said: “We’ll act as soon as I say so, Prowl. I haven’t spend the better part of my life-cycle searching for the AllSpark so you no-good malfunctions could let it slip through your digits through ineptitude.”  
  
“No-good malfunctions, huh?” Prowl chuckled. “Do remind me again, who of us was it that got dishonorably discharged from the Elite Guard?”  
  
The other Autobots tensed up at that, optics automatically flickering to Optimus, who had gone deadly silent. Then, all of a sudden, he lifted his right servo and before Prowl could react, a grappling hook shot out of an appendage and wrapped it self around his throat tightly.  
  
Prowls gasped, grabbing at the wire to no avail as Optimus coldly looked down on him from the elevated platform.  
  
“Perhaps I was being unclear when I picked you off that dirty little rock in the middle of nowhere,” he said quietly, raising his upper servo and tightening the wire even more in the process. “But I intend to change this empire form the ground up. And once I finally have the power to do so, its old, antiquated institution, the _**Elite Guard**_ ,” he spat the last two words out as if they were poisoned oil, “will be **crushed**. Along with the high council, the Decepticons and any other bot who believes he can oppose me and stay online. Now tell me Prowl....”  
  
Optimus slowly retreated the wire back into its slot, forcing Prowls to stagger along until Optimus glowered right over him and the smaller bot was practically dangling before the control panel, desperately trying to free himself and reactivate the energon-flow through his intake.  
  
The remaining Autobots just sat by and watched, Bumblebee especially fascinated.  
  
“Are you such a bot?”  
  
Prowl opened his intake to say something, but only managed a few puny squeaks.  
  
Optimus smirked. “Good. I’m glad we agree.”  
  
He abruptly retrieved the rest of his grappling hook, harshly dumping Prowl on the floor and watching with satisfaction as he struggled to his feet, coughing and rubbing his throat.  
  
He re-directed his gaze to the monitor, optics narrowing. “Follow them, but don’t let them detect us. I want to know just who we’re dealing with.”  
  
Ratchet chuckled. “You’re the boss.”  
  
Engines set low, the ship slowly drifted after the small group of Decepticons, using the occasional asteroid as a cover. It didn’t take long for the giant red ship to be detected. Optimus leaned forward, optics widening at the sight. He had never seen it prior to this encounter, but in his academy days he had heard plenty of stories about the Nemesis.  
  
One of the finest ships in the Decepticon fleet, she eclipsed their own vessel with her size. The Decepticon emblem on her hull seemed to mock them as their ship floated towards it. But it wasn’t just her size that made Optimus think. The Nemesis had been and presumably still was a command ship. And if she still held that title, then the Decepticon who commanded her had to be-  
  
“Megatron,” he heard Ratchet whisper from his seat. “Well I’ll be.”  
  
“The leader of the Decepticon rebellion?” Prowl asked skeptically. “What would he be doing in the outskirts of the empire?”  
  
“Most likely the same thing we’re doing,” Ratchet answered bluntly. “Our ships are not the only ones that can track energy signals.”  
  
Optimus tuned them out to think. A direct confrontation was out of the question. Their ship was equipped with some weaponry but not enough by far to challenge a Decepticon warship. Ambushing the group of Decepticons they had detected while they were still outside the ship was also not an option. Autobots generally didn’t fare well in aerial battles. But just remaining where he was and watching Decepticon scum take off with the artifact he had been searching for for so long? Never.  
  
Optimus cursed in his mind and glared at the ship still taking up most of the view outside. He wished he could just reach out and somehow crush its core from the inside- the inside? Optimus grinned. Here was an idea. An idea that would not only get him the AllSpark, but also rid the Empire of its biggest menace. He would go down in history as the Autobot who finally defeated Megatron!  
  
He looked up. “Contact the Elite Guard on Cybertron.”  
  
Prowl turned to look at him, raising the upper left edge of his visor. “That old, antiquated institution you intend to crush?”  
  
Optimus’ optics narrowed. “Precisely.”  
  
“Hah!” Ratchet guffawed. “This oughtta be good.”  
  
Optimus ignored him and kept his eyes trained on the monitor. An image of another Autobot flared up. He seemed to be roughly the same age as Optimus, with a garish orange-green color scheme. The bot nodded in greeting.  
  
“Optimus. I hadn’t heard from you in quite a while. It’s good to see you’re still online, old friend.”  
  
“Likewise. Unfortunately I have no time to chat, Sentinel. I have just discovered two things that might be of great interest to us.”  
  
“What would that be?”  
  
Optimus smirked. “The AllSpark. And Megatron.”  
  
Sentinel’s optics widened. “Are you certain? On both?”  
  
“Positive,” Optimus nodded. “But in order for everything to go smoothly, I need you to deactivate and intercept any warp frequency in wide-mile radius of these coordinates. You still hold the title of Ultra Magnus’ second-in-command, don’t you? It should be easy for you to get access to the corresponding data.”  
  
“I do,” Sentinel answered, though there was some hesitation in his voice. “But our esteemed Magnus has grown suspicious of me lately, Optimus. I don’t know for how long I’ll be able to keep this a secret with him shadowing me.”  
  
“It won’t take too long. A solar-cycle should be enough. And when its over, we’ll have the most powerful energy source in the universe and Cybertron’s most wanted war criminal to present.”  
  
Sentinel thought about this for a moment. Then he nodded. “One solar-cycle. That’s all I can do.”  
  
“It’s more than enough. Thank you Sentinel.”  
  
“Optimus.”  
  
Optimus looked up to meet his old squadmates’ stern optics. “Bring him in alive. His capture will be more effective, if he is brought before a court and executed on Cybertron before the masses.”  
  
Optimus grinned. “If there’s anything left of him by the time I’m done, I’ll deliver it to you gift-wrapped.”  
  
The monitor went dark, ending the transmission. Optimus turned to Ratchet.  
  
“Bring us as close to the ship as possible without them detecting us. You three!”  
  
He pointed at Bumblebee, Prowl and Bulkhead. “Come with me.”  
  
“Where to? Out there?” Prowl sneered, jabbing his digit at the void, though he got up when both Bumblebee and Bulkhead did.  
  
“Later,” Optimus told him, already heading for the door. A menacing smile spread across his face-plate. “First we’re going to get a little something from the cargo hold. And then we will pay this ship of theirs a visit.”

* * *

  
The control room of the Nemesis was filled with a soft white glow, as the Decepticons entered it. Megatron carried the container to the middle of the bridge, putting it down as softly as if it were a newly formed sparkling - or a ticking time-bomb.  
  
For a while, none of them spoke a single word. The only sound was the faint pulsing of the AllSpark.  
  
“Huh,” Blackarachnia said eventually. “I thought it would be bigger.”  
  
Blitzwing turned his head to her, smiling. “Well to be fair, it is still about a fourth your size.”  
  
Blackrachnia grinned and punched his servo lightly. “Blow it out your actuator, three-face.”  
  
“We should get it to New Kaon as fast as possible,” Starscream said, looking at Megatron. “We are still in Autobot territory. The longer we stay, the higher the risk of us being detected.”  
  
Megatron nodded, though his optics remained on the AllSpark at first. “You are right as usual, Starscream. We cannot let felicity paralyze us. It is time to return home and think about our next step.”  
  
Lugnut’s optic narrowed. “What is there to think? We have the AllSpark. Now is the time to gather our forces and strike!”  
  
“Attacking the Autobot Empire blindly in our current state would lead to more harm than good,” Megatron replied, calmly meeting Lugnut’s optic. “The AllSpark is certainly a welcome find, but we should not rely on it completely in the battles to come. We need coordination and a well thought-out strategy.”  
  
Lugnut huffed. “And how long will it take you to think up such a strategy? Long enough for our supplies to finally run out? Long enough for our people to rust away on the miserably spark-forsaken rocks we call or colonies? The Decepticons are tired of waiting, Megatron! You might shut off your optics to it, but I’ve seen the desperation in the cities. Already splinter groups are forming. If you truly wish to save us, then act instead of placating us with empty speeches!”  
  
Megatron opened his intake to answer, but Starscream beat him to it.  
  
“You are out of line, Lugnut!” he snarled, stepping forward and glaring up at the bigger Decepticon. “Unlike you, Megatron is not willing to sacrifice dozens of our already decimated numbers to the empire’s armies.”  
  
“You are just as blind as he is!” Lugnut shouted. “If it were up to the two of you, we would remain huddled on New Kaon for all eternity!”  
  
Blackarachnia and Blitzwing who had stopped half-way to their control panels, seemd slightly lost now, their optics flittering nervously between Starscream and Lugnut.  
  
“Isn’t that just so like you, Lugnut!” Starscream spat. “All brawns and no processor!”  
  
“ _ **Enough!**_ ” Megatron roared, making both Starscream and Lugnut jump and turn to him. He sighed deeply,folding his servos and gave them both a look that was equal parts sad, tired and disappointed. “Please, this in-fighting has to stop. Can’t you see we are closer than ever to-”  
  
An ear-shattering crash filled the air, followed by a tremor that rattled the ship in its entirety and send the Decepticons flailing. Alarms blared all over the room, deafening and anxious.  
  
Megatron, who had been thrown onto his knees by the sudden turbulence, groaned and raised his head. Automatically his optics sought Starscream and lit up a bit in relief when he spotted him struggling to his feet a few meters away, clearly rattled, but none the worse for wear.  
  
“Is everyone alright?” Megatron called, propping himself up on one knee and laying his servo onto the nearest rail for support. Affirmative groaning and the sound of shifting armorplating settled the last of his worries.  
  
A quick look around revealed Blackarachnia as the one closest to a control panel. “Blackarachnia, report! What happened?”  
  
Grabbing for hold, Blackarachnia dragged herself to her feet and jammed a few orders into the keyboard, cursing quietly and rubbing her posterior. The monitor flickered, but activated.  
  
“Well, good news is we haven’t been shot,” she stated sarcastically. “Bad news is, someone used explosives to blow a massive hole into the engine room’s hull and enter it from there! I can’t identify their energy signature, the equipment took some damage from the blast just now, but it’s definitely Cybertronian and more than one.”  
  
“Autobots!” Lugnut snapped.  
  
“We cannot be sure of that, Lugnut,” Megatron replied, standing up to his full height. “Nonetheless we should take care of these unexpected guests. Starscream, Blitzwing, come with me. Lugnut, Blackarachnia, guard the AllSpark and the bridge.”  
  
Megatron, Blitzwing and Starscream hurried down the ship’s corridors. The Nemesis’ overall condition did nothing to lift their moods: Wires and cables were hanging out of cracked walls, sparks flew at them from every corner and some of the doors seemed to be malfunctioning.  
  
Blackrachnia confirmed their fears when she piped up over their comlinks: “Boys, sorry to say but there’s more bad news: That explosive didn’t just damage the hull! We’re offline in the void!”  
  
“Of course, why not?” Starscream muttered.  
  
“Do what you can to get us mobile again and fast,” Megatron snapped. “If this was an attack by the Autobots it is more than likely it won’t be the only one today.”  
  
“I’m a medic, not a miracle worker!” Blackarchnia protested. “I’ll see what I can do, but it’ll take time!”  
  
“Which we are in relatively short supply of at the moment,” Bltzwing added nervously.  
  
The three of them rounded a corner. The engine room’s door loomed before them, smoke billowing out through its open doors. Megatron signaled Starscream and Blitzwing to stop, optics narrowing. Slowly the three of them activated their weaponry, Megatron reaching behind him and pulling out a big silver sword.  
  
“Stay behind me,” he ordered silently. “Be on guard. We do not know if they are still-”  
  
A large blunt round object shot forward from the darkness behind them, aiming directly at Megatron. It hit him in the back before he could react, throwing him into the engine room, with the doors switching shut behind him.  
  
“Megatron!” Starscream shouted, him and Blitzwing already gunning for the now sealed doors.  
  
White-hot lightning struck the ceiling, from the same direction the round object had been coming from Rubble rained down and buried the remaining two Decepticons underneath it.

* * *

  
  
Megatron groaned, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. The impact had knocked the sword out of his hand, though thankfully it didn’t seem to have injured him.  
  
“Well, well well,” a voice rang through the darkness, echoing from the walls. “Look what the capacitor dragged in.”  
  
Megatron looked up, squinting into the smoke before him. Two piercing red lights shone through the veil, along with a looming shadow. The shadow walked forward to reveal an Autobot Megatron had never seen before, sneering and shouldering a battleaxe.  
  
“The famous leader of the Decepticons, Megatron. Truth be told, I thought you would be much harder to take down.”  
  
Megatron frowned, moving to get up, when he felt his leg hit something. His sword. Without breaking optic-contact, Megatron slowly reached out to where he’d felt its shape.  
  
“I have no memory of you from the Great War,” he said. “Who are you?”  
  
The Autobots optics flared up at that. “The name is Optimus Prime. Not that that’ll help you much. Just know that that’s the name of the Autobot who finished you.”  
  
Optimus raised the axe over his head and brought it down in a swift strike. At the same time, Megatron’s fist closed around his sword’s handle and his arm shot up. The clang of metal on metal filled the room as their blades met and interlocked.  
  
“You will find that finishing me will take a lot more than this,” Megatron said through gritted denta, slowly pushing himself upwards against his adversary. Optimus smiled maniacally.  
  
“Good! The harder you fight, the sweeter my victory will be!”  
  
In one fluid movement, he relinquished pressure on Megatron’s blade and dodged underneath it, slicing his axe along the others arm and leaving a deep gash.  
  
Megatron cried out, sword falling out of his hand. He dodged another strike from Optimus’ axe, bringing more distance between them and raising his arm cannon.  
  
Optimus dodged the first shot, but the second hit him straight in the back, throwing him towards the destroyed engines. Megatron ran after him, cannon still raised and fired again.  
  
A grappling hook shot from the smoke, wrapping around the cannon and yanking it up towards the ceiling, just as the plasma-blast fired. Megatron jumped aside as the rubble fell, though he couldn’t avoid a particularly big piece striking his injured arm.  
  
He vented sharply, gripping the damaged limb and raising his helm, trying to locate his opponent. Optimus was walking out of the smoke, calmly shifting aside the rubble with his pede.  
  
“Don’t worry. The pain will stop soon,” he said, grinning. “And then you’ll accompany me to Cybertron, along with the AllSpark.”  
  
Megatron’s optics widened. Blackarachnia and Lugnut!  
  
He tried to reach up and activate his comlink, but Optimus zipped forward, axe raised, forcing him to parry with his bare servo. The axe cut into his plating and Megatron had to clench his denta to not give his enemy the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain again.  
  
“Now, now,” Optimus cooed mockingly. “Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for them, would you?”

* * *

  
“They are taking too long,” Lugnut said, optic trained on the door. “I should have gone with them.”  
  
“And leave me here to defend the universes’ biggest battery all by myself? Yeah, no chance big guy,” Blackarachnia replied from her console.  
  
“You are more than capable or defending yourself.”  
  
“Myself, sure, but myself and the AllSpark against multiple opponents who would love nothing more than to rip me servo from servo, that’s a tiny bit trickier.”  
  
Lugnut huffed. “Point taken.”  
  
Both of them perked up, when a light scratching noise sounded from the entrance. They exchanged a look and nodded.Blackarachnia came up to position herself in front of the AllSpark, while Lugnut placed himself in front of the door, one servo raised and ready to strike.  
  
The scratching had stopped by now and the sudden silence did nothing to calm their nerves. Then it happened. An explosion tore through the door. Lugnut jumped to shield Blackarachnia with his heavily armored body, getting rained with dust and gravel in the process.  
  
When the two of them looked up again, an Autobot was standing in the doorway, an arrogant smirk on his faceplate. Lugnut growled at the sight, bringing himself up to his full height and activating the explosive on his right servo.  
  
“You will regret ever setting a pede on this foot, Autobot!” he shouted, charging and raising his arm to strike. Blackarachnia struggled to her feet, raising her stingers, but then stopped mid-motion. In a split-second she could have swonr the Autobot was---flickering? Her optics widened and she reached for Lugnut.  
  
“Lugnut wait, don’t! It’s a -”  
  
Before she could finish, Lugnut’s punch connected - or it would have, had his opponent been real. Instead his explosive hit the floor, making him stumble forward and right into the explosion. Fire engulfed him and he staggered from the impact. Two white streaks dropped down from the ceiling, both grabbing on to one of Lugnuts arm, attaching something to his wrists that had the faint outline of an armband with a dangling ornament, which the two proceeded to connect. Lugnut reared up but then halted mid-movement, electric currents travelling all over his body and the next moment, he was lying there, completely still.  
  
“Take a break, you big bag of bolts,” the one in who’s image the decoy had been sneered. “Stasis cuffs do wonders for restlessness.”  
  
The other Autobot cackled, jumping off of Lugnut’s limp body as his hand slowly transformed into electric stingers. Blackarachnia clenched her denta. Two against one. Not exactly ideal, but she could manage.If she was quick enough, she might be able to distract them and free Lugnut to even the odds.  
  
And then a third Autobot stepped out of the dark corridor, this one much bigger than the other two, though not quite as large as her downed Decepticon friend. When he saw her, his jaw shifted to give him an expression of disgust.  
  
“The scanners only showed four. What is _that_ thing?”he rumbled in a deep voice that didn’t exactly raise Blackarachnia’s expectation for victory.  
  
“I’m kind of complicated,” she answered, grinning sardonically.  
  
“What you might or might not be is of no importance to us,” the bot with the visor said airily, stepping forward. “You have something that we want. Surrender it now and maybe we’ll put you off-line painlessly.” He smirked. “Though I’m sure I’d speak for all of us if I say we’d prefer if you struggled.”  
  
“Is that right?” Blackarachnia said, returning their menacing grins with one of her own. “Then come and get me boys.”  
  
They all lunged at her at once, just like she’d hoped. She jumped up, landing on the big bot’s back and pressed her palms onto it. She felt her download absorbing his data and when he swatted at her. she was already in the air again, landing on the ground a few feet away from Lugnut.  
  
The big Autobot roared, his hand transforming into a wrecking ball. He flailed it through the air and right at her. She nonchalantly raised a hand and caught it in her grip.  
  
“For me? Aw, you shouldn’t have,” she smirked, taking in the shocked looks on their faceplates. “Let me give you something back in turn!”  
  
Using all of her newly acquired strength, she launched the wrecking ball back at them, hitting the big Autobot right in the chest plate and making him fall over with a grunt. The bot with the visor snarled and charged at her, one hand pulling out a round object and throwing it. The round projectile transformed into a star-shaped blade and Blackarachnia dodged it barely.  
  
She picked up a flicker of movement just outside her vision and the next moment a bolt of lightning struck the ground right behind her, as she jumped away again. She cursed silently. Their attacks had driven her away from Lugnut and right into the middle of the bridge again. A loud rustling sound behind her told her that the big guy had recovered. And if his heavy grunts were any indication, he was _not_ happy.  
  
This was not looking good. She was surrounded on three sides and her download wouldn’t last that much longer.  
  
“Last chance to give up, boys,” Blackarachnia quipped, hoping the nervousness wasn’t creeping into her voice.  
  
“And you’d be well-advised to take it, Autbot-scum,” a voice shouted from the entrance.  
  
All four turned their heads in surprise and then all of a sudden, red blasts of energy fired into the room and at the Autobots, all of them just narrowly avoiding being hit.  
  
Blackarachnia found herself smiling. Usually she’d sigh at his need to be dramatic, but this time it gave the whole situation a special touch, she had to admit.  
  
Blitzwing stomped into the room, cannons lowered. When Blackarachnia saw his faceplate, she felt her spark sink a little. It was no longer lean with a special covering for one of his optics, but broad, with a wide, blue visor covering up both of them. He had shifted.  
  
“Thanks for the help,” she said, walking over to him with a servo on her hip. “Is Blitzwing alright, Hothead?”  
  
He huffed. “He is fine enough under the circumstances. Though I would be lying if I said he is sparking with joy.” He grinned and cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. “He’ll cheer up fast enough once I’ve crushed those Autobots into pieces!”  
  
And with that he lunged at the mortified looking intruders, cannons raised. Blackarachnia sighed, then made her way over to Lugnut, ignoring the explosions and panicked screams that began to fill the background. She didn’t envy Blitzwing one bit. If she’d had to deal with a split-personality this easily riled up, she’d lose her mind on the second deca-cycle. The price of being a Triple Changer. And it was entirely her fault he had to pay it.  
  
Mood thoroughly ruined, she knelt down next to Lugnut and went to work on his stasis cuffs. Just as she finished pulling them off, she heard a surprised shout that made her turn to the fight.

The AllSpark was blazing.

* * *

  
Megatron wrenched his arm away with a grunt, throwing Optimus backwards and struggled to his feet, clutching his injured arm. Optimus slithered to a stop across from him, smiling triumphant.  
  
“How long do you think you can keep this up, Megatron?”  
  
“As long as I have to,” Megatron answered, shakily raising his cannon again and firing.  
  
Optimus rolled to the side and dodged it. He raised his arm and released his grappling hook again, wrapping it around the hilt of Megatron’s abandoned sword and swinging it at him. Megatron caught it in his servo, flinching as the blade cut into his palm.  
  
Taking advantage of this distraction, Optimus retreated the wire, dashing forward with it and brought his axe down on the sword, hard, pushing Megatron onto his back.  
  
Megatron groaned and tried to get up, only to find Optimus’ axe blade at his neck.  
  
The Autobot smiled down at him triumphantly. “I wonder, will they elect a new leader after you’re gone? Or will they just give up?”  
  
Megatron returned his smile with a steady gaze. He was not going to show this Autobot fear, not even in what could be his final moments.  
  
An ear-shattering crash sounded from the door and the next second, a sonic pulse blast hit Optimus square in the chest, throwing him across the room.  
  
“You will not lay a digit on our leader as long as I am online!” Starscream shouted, storming into the room, arm cannon still raised.  
  
Megatron couldn’t help but smile as he propped himself up on his good elbow. “Excellent timing, Starscream.”  
  
His second-in-command knelt down beside him, worry in his optics. “Megatron, you are hurt! This is my fault, I should have seen this coming, I should have-”  
  
“Starscream,” Megatron interrupted him, clasping his shoulder. “The Autobots attacked us from behind and without warning. There was nothing any one of us could have done. You saved my life. I will never be able to repay you for that.”  
  
Starscream’s faceplate flushed a little. The moment was interrupted by another loud noise, followed by a tremor.  
  
“What the spark was that?” Starscream asked, frowning.  
  
Megatron narrowed his optics, looking out of the door. “I do not know, but I believe it would be best if we regrouped with the others.The Autobot seemed keen on getting his servos on the AllSpark and I doubt his followers will be any less eager.”  
  
Starscream steadied Megatron as he got up and they made their way towards the bridge. None of them noticed the much smaller body pulling itself out of the rubble.

* * *

  
  
“What in the well of AllSparks-?”  
  
Megatron and Starscream stoo in the doorway to the bridge, optics wide as the AllSpark’s light grew brighter and brighter, already filling up the room. A loud humming was emanating from it, getting louder and louder with every second.  
  
“What is going on here?” Megatron shouted over the noise to Blackarachnia, who was desperately trying and failing to free Lugnut from his stasis cuffs.  
  
“Pit if I know,” she yelled back. “Those Auto-bastards attacked us and it just went off!”  
  
The AllSpark’s hum suddenly spiked, growing so intense, everyone in the room dropped what they had been doing to clamp their hands over their audials. The light retreated into its source, only to explode out of it the very next moment. For a second it was quiet again. Then a loud electric screeching filled the room - and the ship moved.  
  
And not only the ship. Outside, asteroids and rocks of all sizes suddenly started to rapidly move in the same direction as if pulled by an unseen force. A picture of their surroundings surfaced in Starscream’s processor.  
  
“The Spacebridge,” he gasped. “It activated the Spacebridge!”  
  
“With that burst of energy just now?” Blackarachnia’s optics widened. “It will overload.”  
  
Apparently the Autobots had heard her.  
  
“Frag this nonsense!” the one with the red visor snapped. “I’m not going off-line here!” Before anyone could stop him, he activated a pair of jets on his back and propelled himself right out the doorway and into the corridor. The other two seemingly shared this sentiment and followed suit, narrowly dodging Hothead’s energy blasts as they did so.  
  
“That’s right you cowards, run!” he hollered, settling down beside the rest of the Decepticons. “And if you ever show your face again, I’ll...I’ll-!”  
  
His furious faceplate suddenly twisted around and switched to reveal Blitzwing’s exhausted one. He swayed and would have nearly toppled over if Blackarachnia hadn’t been there to support him.  
  
“W-What happened?”he murmured, putting a hand to his forehead. “I remember me and Starscream getting buried...and then Hothead-” His head snapped up, optics fearful. “Oh dear! Did I hurt someone?”  
  
“Only bots who deserved to get hurt, three-face,” Blackarachnia smiled up at him.  
  
“Touching as this is,” Lugnut snapped from his position on the floor. “I believe there is a bigger issue at hand now!”  
  
Megatron nodded. “He is right. Blackarachnia, how long until we reach that Spacebridge?”  
  
Blackarachnia went over to her panel, then shook her helm. “Not long enough. With all the damage from the fight, there’s no way I can get us up and moving again before we get transported who knows where.”  
  
“Then we have to evacuate. And fast! Everyone to the escape pods!” Megatron shouted, drawing his sword and cutting through Lugnut’s stasis cuffs. “Help me carry the AllSpark!”  
  
Together they carried the AllSpark hurriedly to the pod section. Megatron grimaced when he saw three of them were missing. “It seems our visitors have already helped themselves.”  
  
“There are still enough pods for us,” Blitzwing pointed out, relieved.  
  
Megatron nodded. “Good. Each of you, get a pod and evacuate as soon as you’re inside.”  
  
The Decepticons entered the pods, closing the hatches as they did so and blasting off. Starscream was about to close his, when he heard Megatron call for him.  
  
“Take this,” Megatron said, placing the AllSpark in his baffled second-in-command’s hands.  
  
“Me? But surely you-”  
  
“I can think of no bot it would be safer with,” Megatron said, a warm smile on his faceplate.  
  
Starscream hesitated for a moment, then he nodded, slowly returning the smile. “I will guard it with my spark.”  
  
“I know you will.”  
  
The hatch closed and the pod took off. After a while, Megatron’s pod followed suit.  
  
The space bridge’s drawing power was growing stronger. Already the Nemesis was pulled into it’s vortex, folding in on itself and disappearing in a blink. With a feeling of panic, the Decepticons noticed their pods were being drawn in too.  
  
“We’re not going to make it!” Blackarachnia shouted over the comlink.  
  
Finally, the space bridge collapsed, unleashing a gigantic burst of warp-energy. It engulfed the asteroid and the pods, as well as a small Autobot ship, pulling all of it inside itself. And spitting it out in a galaxy far, far away.  
  
Megatron struggled to stay online, raising his helm and trying to make out the other pods in the darkness. There they wear, floating in his near vicinity, heavily damaged. He raised his servo to activate his comlink. “Can anyone hear me? Are you still online?”  
  
A static noise piqued up and Megatron was starting to fear the worst, but then he heard affirmative voices, hard to hear but still there. The relief didn’t last long as he noticed they had not stopped moving. Neither had he.  
  
And as his pod turned with the fall, a blue planet came into view, pulling all of them into its gravity. Megatron’s optics widened.  
  
“Steer your pods to roughly the same area,” he shouted into the comlink, gripping the steering wheel of his own. “But take care not to hit inhabited lands! Then activate stasis mode, until you’ve landed safely!”  
  
He could hear them answering something, voices panicked, but before he could say anything else, a horrifying screech sounded from behind him. Megatron whirled around, already drawing his sword. The ceiling of his pod had been cut open and a green, heavily cracked servo pulled it apart, allowing a small form to drop inside.  
  
Optimus Prime glared up at Megatron, his red optics full of hatred. His armorplating was cracked and breaking and a gaping hole where Starscream’s attack had hit him revealed his still beating spark.  
  
“Megatrooon!” he roared in a glitching voice, raising his axe and charging at the Decepticon.  
  
Without thinking, Megatron slammed his hand on the button to open the hatch. Optimus screamed in rage as he and Megatron both were pulled toward the open vastness of space. His body caught fire as he hurled towards the earth. Megatron watched him fall until he was out of sight.  
  


* * *

  
A fireball sailed through the night sky over the lonesome fields of PawPaw and hit the earth with a resounding crack. In a small wodden house nearby, a young, pudgy human man with dark skin and black hair jumped at the noise, looking up from the robotic arm he had been working on.  
  
Grabbing a flashlight, he ran out into the field, following the trail of scorched earth until he found its source. A giant robotic head was lying in an even bigger crater, sparking and dripping oil. The man gasped, stumbling backwards. After recovering from the first shock, he stepped closer to get a abtter look. Ever so slowly, a malicious grin spread out acroos his face as he extended a hand towards it.  
  
So caught up was he in his discovery, he failed to notice the five flaming ships entering the atmosphere behind him.

* * *

  
  
Grunting, Megatron rammed his sword into the pod’s floor, pulling himself back up to the control panel and closing the hatch again. With slightly shaky servos, he gripped the steering wheel again.  
  
The pods entered the atmosphere, trailing fire in their wake. They sailed high above a city and towards a wooded area. Megatron could feel the heat biting through the pods hull. Quickly, he typed in the commands for stasis lock.  
  
Coldness surrounded him, shutting down his functions one by one. By the time his pod finally collided with earth’s surface, he was no longer online.

* * *

##  **50 Years later**

In the earliest 20th century, Detroit had been known as “The Motor City”, the automobile manufacturing capital of the world. In present day it had long eclipsed it’s old fame, though not in a good way. Today, it was known as the capital of Sumdac Industries. Isaac Sumdac, founder and CEO of the company had started out small. No one knew where he had come from (though some speculated from somewhere below) but eh had made a name for himself practically overnight with his radical inventions and advancements in robo-technology.  
  
Sponsors and investors had been positively tripping over themselves to fund him and learn the secret of his engineering and programming successes. Issac Sumdac gladly accepted their money and praise - then used the latter to fund his true passion: war-bots.  
  
With his intellect, reputation and an army of highly advanced mechanic fighters by his side, he had soon spread his influence over all of Detroit. Local law enforcement, as well as the military were helpless against the onslaught and so Detroit was left to his devices. The surviving civilians huddled together in their houses in fear.  
  
Sumdac proceeded to rebuild Detroit in his image: statues, monitors, billboards; there was no escaping Isaac Sumdac. Strict laws and regulations were set in place, curfews were enforced and if anyone tried to resist, the newly-build police drones dealt with them accordingly. And so Sumdac’s city had remained for fifty years. From the Sumdac Tower, a tall, looming building in the cities’ center bursting with tech and serving as his main research facility and home, he continued to watch it grow everyday.  
  
Isaac Sumdac himself was having a pretty good morning by his assessment. The taxes were flowing, his factories were working better than ever, the research facilities had reported no incidents so far and the coffee he had ordered before starting his daily inspection of the Sumdac Tower,had been just right. No wonder, it had been made by his robot assistant. It had been a good decision to fire and throw the old one into one of the factories. He had gotten tired of her constant shaking and stammering whenever she gave him the daily reports. That was the problems with humans. Always so emotional, so unreliable. And so fragile.  
  
A machine never complained, it never tired and no job was too below it to be done. Which was something that really came in handy when you needed an army to do the...dirty work for you, without some nasty conscience getting in the way.  
  
“Assistant, tell me the morning news.”  
  
”Yes, Professor Sumdac,” th assistant-bot replied. “Expansion is going well. The new drones will be released on time. But there has been another upsrising in Detroit’s donwtown. Several drones damaged, one destroyed. The approach suggests the same culprits as last time. Identities remain unknown.”  
  
Sumdac frowned. The rebels, as he called them mockingly, had started out as a minor nuisance at first, but had proven to ba quite a thorn in his side later on. He didn’t know wha or where, but there base of operations was clearly somehwer ein Downtown and someone was supplying them with advanced weaponry that allowed them to go toe to toe with his drones. Something that should have been impossible. Searches and threats against the residents were fruitless. they loved their “heroes” and no amount of property damage they suffered would make them cave and give away their names. _One day_ , Sumdac promised them in his head. _One day you won’t be so lucky and then you will submit to me, as all of Detroit has._  
  
”What progress has been made on projects T-1973 and C-1600,” He ordered, taking a sip from his cup and absentmindedly stroking his bald crown.  
  
“C-1600: Nanotechnology Development. Current objective: design and development of nano-bots to be used in biological warfare. No incidents reported. Test subject scheduled to be injected with latest model of self-replicating, sub-microscopic, bio-diagnostic nano-bots today,” the robot rattled down, steadily marching behind its creator. “T-1973: ‘Sari’. Minor breach of containment. Registered casualties: 2. Subject has been returned to containment one minute ago.”  
  
Sumdac chuckled. “Ah, that’s my little girl. She probably misses her father. Shall we pay her a visit, yes?”  
  
Without waiting for an answer, Sumdac turned a corner and ambled down a vast hallway to an elevator that only he and a few chosen scientists, researchers and security personnel had clearance to.  
  
As the elevator descended, Sumdac found himself lost in thought. His empty right eye-socket started to itch under its eye-patch, as it always did when he came near her. Some upstart psychologist would surely be able to identify it as some sort or primal fear, but Sumdac knew better. It was not fear that made him fidget as the elevator drew closer and closer to its destination. It was excitement, anticipation for what he would see.  
  
He was curious how she had managed to escape this time. Had she used her inherent technopathy to hack the locks? His fire-walls would have to be improved then! Or had she simply used her innocent appearance to sweet-talk some poor fool into letting her out? Oh how it frustrated him he had to place humans as her caretakers, but with her abilities, using a drone or a robot was out of the question.  
  
The elevator opened to reveal a colossal laboratory, filled with control panels on both sides of the walls, giant monitors and a myriad of people running around and shouting. And at the center of the room, in a small pool, stood a giant, glass test tube. Cables and panels seemed to protrude from all around it. If one looked really close, there was the faint outline of a hole, roughly half of Sumdac’s size carved into one of its sides. Sumdac noted with no small amount of satisfaction that the repair gel mechanism seemed to fulfill its purpose.  
  
An stressed looking man with half-long blonde hair, a long lab-coat and a ridiculously outdated pair of sunglasses came towards Sumdac.  
  
“P-Professor Sumdac! We’ve already dealt with her, no need for you to concern yourself.”  
  
Sumdac lazily regarded the man with his one eye. He knew he was one of the top scientists working in the lab, but he could not for the life of him recall the man’s name.  
  
“I’ll take a look either way, if its all the same to you,” he said, making his way towards the test tube.  
  
A small huddled figure was lying in the tube’s middle, curled in on itself like a cat. Sumdac sneered. She was mocking him. She knew he was here, no doubt she’d know since he exited the elevator. He stepped towards one of the panels, shooing the scientist currently seated there aside with a dismissive gesture and pressed a button. A loud buzzing sound signaled the activation of the intercom.  
  
“Good morning, Sari,” Sumdac called, smiling. “I heard you caused quite the ruckus down here. Surely you must know that you will be punished harshly for this, yes?”  
  
The figure lazily un-curled itself, as if Sumdac had just woken it from a particularly deep slumber, revelaing itself to be a small girl with the same dark skin as Sumdac’s once had been before chemicals of all kinds had colored it a sickly gray, and purple hair, tied into two pigtails.  
  
The ‘girl’ yawned heartily, stretching her arms. “I was bored old man. In fact, I’m bored most of the time I’m down here. When are you gonna let me out and to do some _real_ damage?”  
  
She smiled, a chilling expression that always made Sumdac shiver, no matter how many times he saw it.  
  
Pushing down the feeling of dread forming in his stomach, Sumdac attempted ana mused chuckle. “And what makes you think I would ever let you out, Sari? I heard you have been very bad today. Two very nice men-”  
  
“Oh, shut it,” she cut him off. “You don’t care a thing for those ‘very nice men’ and you know it. In fact,” her grin widened as she leaned forward, catching his eyes with hers. “I bet you spend the whole ride down here fantasizing how they kicked the bucket. I know you’re into that stuff, you sicko!”  
  
She threw her head back and laughed, as if she had just told some sort of amazing joke. Sumdac clenched his fists. What was it that always enabled her to see right through him?  
  
Still giggling a little, Sari sat back upright again. “Oh and another thing, old man. Don’t act like I’m your kid. I’m not. I’d rather die then be your kid. And once I’m outta here?” She lunged forwards, hands banging against the galss, making Sumdac shriek, jerk backwards and fall off his chair onto his backside, coffee spiiling all over his gloves and coat.  
  
Sari looked down at him, baring her teeth in a manical grin, eyes glowing red. “I’ll finish what I started with your eye-hye.” The last word was spoken in a mocking sing-song voice, entirely too adorable to belong to this monster.  
  
Sumdac huffed and got up, pushing away the arms of the dozen security guards that had rished to his side and stomped back towards the elevator. Sari’s demented giggle followed him all the way up to the base research center. Sumdac clenched his teeth, thinking about how that little brat, that demon had humiliated him, in front of his underlings no less! She would pay, oh yes she would. He’d double the volt on the shock tests! He’d request even more relaxants and chemicals to be injected into her bloodstream! He’d-  
  
“Professor Sumdac, I am receiving a call from project C-1600,” the assistant-bot piped up.  
  
“Not now,” Sumdac snapped, storming down the hallway towards his private laboratory.  
  
“It is urgent.”  
  
Sumdac stopped and gave an annoyed grunt, then turned around. “Answer call.”

The face of that appeared on the assistant-bot’s headscreen was hidden by the hazmat suit the owner was wearing, but the ID on his suit gave him away as the head of project C-1600. Alarms were blaring inthe background, lab equipment strewn about everyhwere in sight, either destroyed or knocked over. Sumdac grimaced, thinking of how much money and time it would cost to replace it all.  
  
“Sir,” the man on the monitor shouted over the sirens in the background. “There’s been a major error in the replication process! The subjects cells have grown out of control, leading to an increase in growth! We managed to contain it for now, but-”  
  
Sumdac’s curiosity was raised.  
  
“How big is it?” he interrupted the man, eyes shining eagerly.  
  
“Huh? U-um, about a hundred times its original size at the time, sir.”  
  
“Do you have any way to control it?” Sumdac asked, rubbing his hand together.  
  
“N-No, and I don’t think we ever will, sir! It’s a fusion of technology and organic matter, any messures we take to control the one side is automatically cancelled out by the other! It absorbs any machinery it can find and has no interest in organics.”  
  
Sumdac’s face fell. Techno-organic beings. Always such disappointments.  
  
“Label it as a failure and get rid of it. I do not care how.” He turned around to enter his lab, but then stopped. An evil smile began to form on his face. “On the other hand, this might be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.” He turned back to the monitor. “Transport it downtown and release it there.”  
  
“B-But sir! The area is marked as inhabited.”  
  
“I am aware. And you will do as you’re told. You cannot afford to upset me after this latest failure of yours.”  
  
The man looked as if he was about to object for a second. Then his shoulders slumped. “Yes, professor Sumdac.”  
  
The screen shut off.  
  
Professor Sumdac entered his lab, whistling to himself as he did so. It was a shame he would not be there to witness, he thought, but that was a minor nitpick to an otherwise brilliant and permanent solution to a nasty little problem.


	2. Transform And Rise Up, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fifty Years after their crash-landing, the Decepticons awaken to find themselves in the middle of a dispute between Detroit’s despotic overlord Isaac Sumdac and a group of brave heroes, fighting against his tyranny.

The sky darkened over the are of Downtown Detroit, as a Sumdac aircraft slowly pushed itself across it, obfuscating the sun for a moment. The citizens halted in what they were doing, each on looking up at the vehicle with the trademark ‘S’ on both sides with wary eyes. Parents pulled their children close to them, most people, already sensing that whatever was going to happen was most likely either dangerous and/or something they wanted no part in, retreated to their homes, doors slamming shut after them.  
  
Police-drones drove underneath the aircraft, roughly shoving aside anyone who dared get in their way. It seemed their destination was the central square. However, about half the way to it, the strange, ominous parade came to a quick and premature end. The aircraft stopped abruptly, a loud creaking coming from within it. The drones, confused about this sudden change of plans stopped and raised their scanners towards it, unsure what to do. They would not have to wonder for long.  
  
A long, brown tentacle shot out of the aircraft’s side, grabbing one of the drones and lifting it up in the air, ignoring the gun fire it unleashed upon it. More tentacle began to sprout from the ship, tearing more and more holes in it’s hull until finally the whole thing inflated like a particularly grotesque balloon and exploded into tiny pieces of shrapnel. Having lost it’s means of transportation, a gigantic creature fell from the sky, flattening half the remaining drones in a crater that spanned the entire street.  
  
Seemingly unperturbed by it’s fall, the creature raised it’s giant insect-like head, feelers twitching and pulled the drone it was still holding into the giant, white goo forming it’s body. It’s other tentacles shot out all around it, wrapping themselves around street lanterns, cars and any drones unfortunate enough to get in their way, pulling all of it in to be submerged in the creatures’ steadily growing body.  
  
Letting out a blood-curdling screech, the creature dragged itself forward, crushing everything in it’s wake. The people screamed in panic, trying to get away from the thing while simultaneously dodging all kinds of rubble while they did so. A young man, tripped and fell as he tried to follow the panicked crowd. Breathing heavily, he turned on his back and his eyes widened as he saw the creature steadily moving in his direction. It had almost reached him, when a small, slim projectile flew through the air at high speed, colliding with the creatures’ head and exploding, sending it reeling backwards.  
  
The young man blinked in confusion, but before he could gather himself enough to ask himself what had just happened, something, or rather, someone hit the ground with their feet beside him and he felt a strong arm gripping him around the waste. The next moment he and the mysterious stranger both were lifted into the air about two streets away from the still confused creature.   
  
“Fear not, citizen,” he heard a voice say, as his savior carefully placed him on the ground. “This most vile fiend shall be disposed off in no time! Evacuate and leave this matter to the Amiable Archer and his valiant companions!”  
  
The young man looked up, still confused, just in time to see a man wearing a Robin Hood-esque blue outfit pull out an arrow attached to a rope from his quiver with a hand that looked robotic and shooting it at a nearby building, pulling himself away, waving as he did so.  
  
The man who called himself Amiable Archer, known to his friends as Aaron A. Archer, dropped and rolled onto a rooftop and narrowed his eyes to access the situation. The creature had recovered from his attack by now and, sadly, it didn’t seem to have taken any damage, making it’s way down the street in the same slow but destructive pace as before.  
  
“I see thou arens’t impressed by mine skill in the noble art of archery,” he shouted, already stringing up another arrow. “A pity thine tastes shalt never have the chance to evolve!”  
  
He cocked another arrow, aiming it at the creature. The projectile activated with a click, it’s tip transforming into a small rocket. As if it had heard the small noise, the creature’s head snapped into Archer’s direction and a tentacle shot out, aiming straight for his position. Archer yelped, quickly aiming the arrow at the incoming limb and shot. Arrow and tentacle met in mid-air in a small but destructive explosion. Bits of flesh rained down on the roof. Archer barely dodged out of the way, face scrunched up in disgust.  
  
This small distraction proved fatal. A second tentacle shot through the smoke, wrapping itself around Archer and pulling him forwards. Archer’s eyes widened, as he saw himself approaching the creature’s gaping maw and he struggled wildly, but the appendage remained wound tight around his body.  
  
“Gah! Let go, foul fiend!”  
  
“You’ve heard the man,” a booming voice shouted from behind him. “Hands off!”  
  
A giant of a man in a white body suit fell out of the sky, smashing one of his great fists right into the creature’s jaw. It screeched in pain, dropping it’s prey and retreating in on itself. Archer found himself free falling for a second, before the giant man jumped up from under him again and caught him bridal style.  
  
“Many thanks, Cyrus,” he said, jumping out of the man-mountain’s arms and onto the street.  
  
“I told ya’ not to run ahead,” Cyrus frowned, crossing his arms. “What am I supposed to tell Penny when you get slammed while I’m not there?”  
  
Before Archer could answer, a high-pitched scream filled the air again and the two of them quickly jumped out of the way as the creature slammed one of it’s appendages into the ground where they had just stood a second ago.  
  
“Someone’s cranky,” Cyrus snarked through gritted teeth, cracking his knuckles.

“Perhaps it misseth it’s slumber time,” Archer laughed. Grinning, he cocked up another bundle of arrows. “I shall solve that conundrum! Cyrus, if you wouldeth be so kind?”  
  
Cyrus nodded. He stepped behind Archer, putting his arms around the smaller man’s waist and pushed himself off the ground with all his strength. They soared through the air, slowly coming to a stop before the creatures’ mouth.  
  
“Almost,” Archer muttered, drawing back his bowstring.  
  
The creature opened it’s chops to roar, only to have a barrage of grenade arrows fired right into it. Cyrus and Archer hit the ground, quickly scurrying to a safe distance and looking expectantly at the monster.  
  
For a few seconds nothing happened. The creature was standing still, shaking it’s head as if confused. Then a fiery explosion erupted from it’s stomach, tearing it open and blowing the creature’s body into pieces. Cyrus quickly jumped in front of his friend, as both of them were pummeled by flying, slimy body parts.  
  
“Darn it, it’ll take forever to wash this off,” he grumbled. He eyed what appeared to be a piece of the creature’s belly that had landed on his upper arm with disgust before quickly shaking it off.  
  
“Ah, but surely a bit of housework is but a small price to pay for the people’s safety,” Archer grinned, somehow managing to look incredibly pleased with himself even as slime was slowly dripping from the rim of his hat.  
  
As if on cue, a cluster of civilians, having heard the commotion, slowly approached the street. Upon seeing that the creature was not only gone, but seemingly defeated, they broke out into cheers, some even applauding the two men still standing among the creature’s remains.  
  
Archer turned and bowed elegantly with a wide smile, while Cyrus merely scratched his bald head and looked the other way, obviously uncomfortable with the amount of attention he was getting. Coincidentally his eyes landed on a piece of the creature - and stopped.  
  
The dead tissue - or what he had believed to be dead tissue a second ago - was moving. And fast. And it wasn’t the only one.  
  
Bits and pieces of the creature’s body slowly started to crawl and drag themselves to the center of the street, where they assembled and grew bigger ad bigger, taking on their old form again.  
  
The people began to panic, screaming and pushing backwards to get away.  
  
Both Archer and Cyrus stared at the revived monster with horror in their eyes.  
  
“Aw, nuts,” Cyrus said quietly.

* * *

Much further away, a piece of the creature was making it’s way through the forest, eager to reunite with it’s equals.  
  
However,as it was doing so, it detected a strange energy to it’s left, strong and machine-like in nature, yet somehow different. The small blob, unable to resist the temptation of a meal so exotic, began crawling towards the source. It’s persistence was rewarded when it came across a great, metal shell embedded in the earth in a remote part of the forest. Though the moss growing on it indicated it had been here for some time now, it hadn’t rusted even a bit, nor was it showing any other signs of decay.  
  
The blob of course couldn’t care less about such things. Excited it hopped onto the shell and pressed itself inside through a small slit. The inside of the ship was dark and cold. But the moment the blob fell from the split and onto it’s floor it sprang to life, alarms starting to blare, while a metallic voice proclaimed: “Warning! Escape pod contaminated!”  
  
The lights flickered on and the temperature rose. The blob, undeterred by this rapid change in atmosphere, slid over to a chair in front of a control panel, sliding up it’s side and onto a giant, slack, metallic forearm.  
  
Megatron rebooted to the pervasive sounds of sirens around him and warning lights bathing his surroundings in red. He groaned, putting a servo to his helm. Feeling something moving on his other arm, he looked down to see a strange, brown, moving substance slowly stretching itself over it. He yelped, throwing the thing off him and against the pod’s wall.  
  
The thing flattened and miserably slid down to the ground, dragging itself back towards the slid it had come through. Megatron watched it escape, optics wide. Something told him that he’d gotten the thing of just in time, though he couldn’t really say why.   
  
“How long have I been in stasis?” he muttered to himself.  
  
He shook his helm and turned back towards the control panel, turning off the alarm system and hectically jammed the frequency for the other escape pods into the keyboard, only to be met with static. Fearing the worst, he activated his own comlink, but the outcome was the same. Megatron got up from his chair and headed for the door. It didn’t budge when he pressed the button right next to it. Giving an annoyed grunt, he jammed his sword in-between and, with some difficulty, used the leverage to open it.  
  
He emerged into a sunlit clearing, surrounded by strange brown and green structures he couldn’t recognize. Thinking of the strange being that had tried to attach itself to him in the pod, Megatron carefully exited the vessel, taking in his surroundings. It seemed his pod had landed separately from the others. That was not ideal, to put it mildly.  
  
Worry and despair began to manifest in his processor. He was stranded on a planet he did not know, his pod was clearly damaged and there was no indication the others were even still online. No, he couldn’t think like that. They had not escaped the clutches of the Autobot-empire only to go offline here! He would find them and then they’d figure out their next steps.  
  
Megatron sheathed his sword and scanned the surroundings for Decepticon energy signatures. Stasis meant their signatures would be dimmed down significantly, but if they were in his general vicinity, he would be able to detect at least a small trace of it and follow it to it’s owners.  
  
Luck was on his side. The scan showed a faint Decepticon energy signature east to his position. He briefly pondered transforming into vehicle mode, but decided against it. Best not to draw attention to himself by flying just yet. His sparking, damaged servo was acting up as well. Additionally, making his way on foot would give him another chance to take in this planet’s surface.  
  
The strange structures around him seemed to take up a large part of it. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as organic and, in some cases inhabited _by_ smaller organics. Megatron left them be. Though he found the seemingly purely non-technological nature of this planet fascinating, his fellow Decepticons were his priority right now.  
  
After a few steps, the energy signature grew stronger and better traceable. It continued this growth, until Megatron found himself at a clearing similar to his. He didn’t detect the pod at first. A rough landing had buried it deep into the ground and the passage of time had caused it to be overgrown with a green, organic structure, slightly moist to the touch.  
  
Eventually, he managed to bury his way through to the door and pull it open through the same method he had opened his own. A soft, bright-blue light greeted him, together with the same intruder alert that had awakened him. Megatron could feel his core beat faster. If the Allspark was in this pod, that meant-!  
  
Not wasting another second, Megatron rushed into the pod and over to the chair before the console. He slowly raised a servo to grasp the chair’s backrest and turn it around to face him.  
  
Stasis had made Starscream slump a bit in his chair, but he looked unhurt otherwise, as a quick scan revealed. Megatron couldn’t help the relieved smile that spread over his face plate. His second-in-command groaned and shifted slightly, his optics slowly reactivating themselves as he lifted his helm.  
  
“Megatron...?” he muttered. “Where are we?”  
  
“I do not know yet,” Megatron answered, laying a gentle servo on Starscream’s shoulder. “But we should regroup with the others as fast as possible. I know you have just rebooted yourself, but do you remember where their pods landed?”  
  
Starscream shook his helm. “No, I’m sorry. It happened so fast, I was already in stasis when my pod landed.” Remembering something important, he jerked up. “The Allspark! I believe it was safe when I shut down, but.... I am sorry, I should have told you right away-”  
  
“Starscream,” Megatron said firmly, catching the other bot’s optics with his own. “I have already seen it. It is unscathed. You did well protecting it. And even if it had been, your well-being is far more important to me than any energy source.”  
  
Starscream chuckled nervously. “You had best not let Lugnut hear that.”  
  
“No, indeed not. Speaking of which, let us get to finding the others, shall we?”  
  
Starscream started to nod, but then hesitated. “What about the Allspark?”  
  
Megatron thought for a second. “We will leave it here. I have not picked up any Autobot energy signatures in this area and this planet seems to be organic in nature, so I doubt any of the locals would try to take it. They would have no use for it. Carrying it with us would only slow us down.”  
  
He stepped back and extended a servo to Starscream.  
  
“They might take it because it’s shiny,” Starscream joked, taking it and letting himself be pulled up.  
  
Megatron chuckled and together they exited the pod, closing the door on their way out. Starscream seemed equally intrigued by the planet’s surface as Megatron had been. During their search, he constantly stopped to take in this organic life form or that, though he usually snapped out of it only a nano-click later with an embarrassed look on his face plate.  
  
The stars were in their favor: It took them merely a few cycles to locate the remaining escape pods. Blitzwing and Lugnut had crashed in approximately the same area, though their pods were hard to find, as they had also been overtaken by the surrounding fauna.  
  
Blackarachnia was further away and she had exited her pod already by the time they found her. And she wasn’t alone. Leaning on her crashed vessel, optics curious, she observed a small, blob-like creature winding itself around her wrist in a circular pattern, as if it was unsure what to do. She looked up when she heard them approaching.  
  
“About time,” she called, pushing herself off the vessel and ambling towards them. “This little fellow crawled into my pod and woke me up. I figured I’d wait for you here, before running off aimlessly.” Her optics wandered back to the creature. “It’s fascinating. From what I can tell, this thing’s got circuitry, but there’s also something else. Kind of like my organic half, but...different, somehow.”  
  
Megatron felt his fuel tanks twist a the sight of the creature. He would have been more than glad not to see it again, though he still couldn’t say why. Clearing his vent, he stepped forwards, pointedly avoiding looking at the moving, slimy thing on Blackarachnia’s wrist.  
  
“Now that we are complete, we should explore our surroundings. Perhaps find a way to blend in with the locals, so we will not attract unwanted attention. Does the console in your pod still work?”  
  
Blackarachnia nodded. “Sure does.”  
  
She turned to enter the pod, the others following close behind her.  
  
“Do you have to keep that thing on you?” Lugnut asked, narrowing his optic at the still twitching blob.  
  
Blackarachnia shrugged. “It might prove useful.”  
  
“I find that hard to believe,” Lugnut huffed.  
  
Blackarachnia glared at him, opening her intake for a no doubt scathing response. Blitzwing quickly stepped forward, clasping her shoulder and leading her firmly, but gently along to the console.   
  
“He did not mean that, Lugnut is merely nervous like all of us. We will no doubt all feel better once we have a better grip on the situation, yes?” he said, smiling nervously.  
  
“Alright, calm down Three-face. I’m not gonna start anything,” Blackarachnia answered, plopping down on the chair and starting to type commands into her console. “I’m detecting a primitive surveillance system about a few hics away from here. I’ll try to hack it and see what we’re dealing with.”  
  
A monitor flared to life on the pod’s front, showing a bird’s eye view of a couple of big, grey structures in roughly the same style. It turned to show a wide square, surrounded by a wire fence. Dozens of warplanes, bombers, fighter jets and other tactical aircraft, along with a few tanks were arranged in rows, all carrying a slightly sinister looking ‘S’ on their wings or sides.  
  
“Well, the locals here sure seem to know a thing or two about weaponry,” Starscream noted, impressed optics trained on a particularly sleek fighter jet.  
  
“Let us hope they are willing to share,” Megatron said. “We will scan those vehicles and use their appearance to blend in.”  
  
“I’ll stay here then,” Blackrarachnia chimed in, leaning back in her chair and raising her wrist to observe the blob once again. “My alt-mode isn’t really interchangeable anyway. And I’d like to analyze this thing some more. The first-aid tools in my pod should suffice for that.” She skeptically eyed Megatron’s damaged arm. “Want me to take a look at that too while I’m a it?”  
  
Megatron shook his helm, trying to ignore Starscream’s worried look. “Familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings is more important at the moment. I will come to you for repairs when we return. Decepticons, transform and rise up!”  
  
Starscream, Blitzwing and Lugnut transformed into their vehicle modes behind him and the four of them took flight, heading towards the coordinated Blackarachnia had given them. After a few nanokliks of flight, a city came into view, the structure’s coordinates leading them right to it’s outskirts.  
  
The Decepticons touched down amidst a row of jets, changing back into their robot modes.   
  
“Split up and choose a form,” Megatron ordered, already walking towards a combat helicopter and taking it in with his scanner. His armor lit up and shifted until it fully accommodated for his new alt mode. He flinched a little as the shift began to affect his damaged arm.  
  
Starscream and Lugnut performed the same action on a fighter jet and a bomber plane respectively.  
  
“Not bad,” Starscream said, eyeing his new, slender wings appreciatively.  
  
“It will suffice,” Lugnut muttered, though he, too, was eagerly taking in his new form.  
  
Starscream ignored him, turning around and scanning the area for Blitzwing. Finding him standing between a tank and another model of fighter jet, seemingly at a loss for what to do, he walked over to him.  
  
“Everything alright Bltzwing?” Starscream asked.  
  
Blitzwing flinched and turned, giving Starscream an embarrassed smile. “I seem to have a bit of a, erm, problem.”  
  
Starscream raised an optic ridge. “A problem? What kind of problem?”  
  
Blitzwing opened his intake to answer, but then stiffened. His face plate shifted around, Hothead coming into view. “The fool wants to scan a fighter jet, but I’ve told him the assault tank is clearly superior! He will not listen to me!”  
  
In an instant, it switched back to Blitzwing with a whirring sound, who looked more than a bit harried. “But I am not good at fighting on the ground! A flying alt mode comes more natural to me and I-”  
  
 _Whirr_. “You are not good at fighting at all! That’s why you have me to do it _for_ you! Choose the tank!”  
  
 _Whirr_. “Please, be reasonable! This alt mode will only hold the others back when we’re in battle.”  
  
 _Whirr_. “It will leave them behind in the dust!”  
  
 _Whirr_. “Do you see what I have to deal with?”  
  
Starscream had followed this argument with a small amount of amusement, but seeing Blitzwing’s genuinely distraught look broke his spark. “Why not choose both? You’re a triple-changer Blitzwing, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.”  
  
“It isn’t, but...” Blitzwing ex-vented, lowering his optics sadly. “I am not...fond of using that ability of mine. It... it makes it harder to stay in control.”  
  
Starscream put a comforting servo on his shoulder, giving him a soft smile. “I understand. But you can’t run away from this forever, Blitzwing. It’s part of who you are. Denying it won’t make it any easier to get control.”  
  
“I know. I suppose I should try to utilize it as best I can.” Blitzwing turned back to the two vehicles and, after a moment of hesitation, scanned both of them, looking utterly miserable while his form shifted. Starscream didn’t envy him. The ability to access two alt-modes was a powerful thing to have, but it came with it’s own price.  
  
Together they walked back to the center of the square, Megatron and Lugnut already waiting for them. Starscream noted with some concern that Megatron’s arm seemed to have taken further damage during the form change. Megatron noticed him looking and quickly turned so the damaged servo was hidden from his view, making Starscream frown a bit.  
  
“I see we all have acquired a camouflage,” Megatron said, pretending not to see his second-in-commands clear disapproval. “As our next step, we should-”  
  
A distant explosion cut him off and the Decepticons turned to see a massive column of black smoke rise from the horizon.  
  
Megatron raised a servo to his comlink. “Blackarachnia, it seems there is a conflict of some sort going on and it is close to our position. I would rather not interfere, but....”  
  
“Your chronic helper syndrome makes it impossible to ignore it, as always,” Blackarachnia finished and Megatron could swear he _heard_ the grin in her voice. “I’ll take a look.”  
  
A feint typing sound came up and after a while she spoke again. “Seems like the locals got into a bit of trouble with...something. I don’t know what that’s supposed to be, but it’s bigger than they are. I think it’s bigger than us even.”  
  
“We should not bring ourselves into this,” Lugnut said. “We have more important things to do. The AllSpark must be brought back to New Kaon.”  
  
“B-But if we help them, they might assist us with repairing our pods,” Blitzwing answered back, optics nervous. “And besides isn’t it our duty to protect _all_ life?”  
  
“I’m actually with Lugnut on this one,” Starscream cut in, catching Megatron’s surprised optics with his own. “You are in no condition to fight right now. There’s no telling what could happen if we take part in this battle. We don’t even know what it is we are dealing with.”  
  
Megatron turned around, in part to look at the smoke again, in part to gain more time to think. Perhaps he ought to listen to Lugnut and Starscream. The AllSpark needed to be brought to safety as quick as possible and his arm was throbbing more fiercely by the nano-klik. Still, the very idea of abandoning these life forms, whoever they might be, to a losing battle, however justified he might be in doing it, made his tanks turn.  
  
Ex-venting deeply, he turned back to his fellow Decepticons, optics steadfast. “I appreciate your concern, Starscream. And I agree that the AllSpark is what we should focus on first and foremost. However, Blitzwing is right. We took an oath to protect and keep safe all life within the galaxies. We cannot turn our backs to it when it needs us.”   
  
He saw doubt in Starscream’s optics and the seeker opened his intake again, to object, to criticize. But Megatron quickly cut him off.  
  
“Decepticons, transform and rise up!”

* * *

Amicable Archer jumped, narrowly avoiding being crushed by a falling piece of rubble. He raised his head to scowl at the sight of the monster. Since it’s nigh defeat it had taken to grabbing several Sumdac-surveillance drones and either swallowing them in it’s maw or merely absorbing them into it’s body directly. It’s body continued to grow a an alarming rate as it dragged itself forward inch by inch, not caring or maybe even noticing who or what it crushed underneath it’s mass.  
  
A furious battle cry sounded through the air and Cyrus descended on the creature from the nearby ruins of what had once been an apartment house, giant fist raised. The creature slowly turned it’s head to him as if to react, only to receive a hard punch square across the right side of it’s head. It screeched, in either anger or agony or both and swatted the giant man aside with an irritated flick of it’s tentacle.   
  
Cyrus hit the pavement, leaving a small crater as he did so. Amicable Archer winced at the sight. He new his companions body suit was reinforced and his muscle mass dampened the hit, but that particular impact still looked like it has hurt quite a lot. As if to confirm his worries, a groan came out of the crater and Cyrus dragged himself out, holding his left arm as he limped over to Archer.  
  
“No chance,” he huffed, readjusting his arm with an audible ‘snap’. “Can’t even make a dent in it.”  
  
Archer clenched is teeth and turned his head to glare at the creature. “This bodeth unwell for us, friend. Mine arrows seemeth to be no match for it either.”  
  
“Think we should try and contact the Prof?” Cyrus asked, eyes focused on the creature as well. “He called us about this thing, maybe he knows something.”  
  
Archer hesitated. “I wisheth not to endanger him more than we already do...”  
  
Before he could continue that thought, the sound of jet engines and rotating helicopter blades filled the air. Several airborne vessels approached their position, dodging flying rubble as they did so.   
  
“Aw nuts, it’s Sumdac’s goons!” Cyrus cursed. “We gotta make a run for it!”  
  
“Halt! Look!” Archer grabbed his already retreating friend’s arm and pointed upwards at the vessels. “Doeseth their coloring not seem...peculiar do you?”  
  
Cyrus frowned and squinted up at the sky again. “Yeah...you’re right,” he said slowly. “That’s definitely Sumdac’s design but....their not standard color. And they don’t even have his logo!” He paused, scratching his bald head in confusion. “Come to think of it, didn’t Sumdac do away with his air force after he finished the android forces?”

* * *

“What _is_ that thing?” Blitzwing asked, narrowly avoiding yet another tentacle shooting up into the air.  
  
“It...appears to be the same kind of being Blackarachnia kept,” Megatron answered. If he’d had his face-plate, it would have been scrunched up in disgust. Although he didn’t carry the same aversion to organic beings as some Cybertronians, something about this creature in particular was just so _wrong_. Maybe it was the way it writhed around, seemingly nothing but consumption to motivate it, maybe it was just the sheer repulsiveness of it’s ever dripping, growing mess of a body.  
  
“Should we open fire, Megatron?” Starscream hovered to his right, canons already lowered and aimed.  
  
Megatron hesitated. “Not yet. I want to confirm there are no Autobots in the general vicinity first.”  
  
Behind him, Lugnut huffed. “They would be mad to get close to this abomination.”  
  
As if it had heard and taken offense to the last statement, the creature lashed out and wrapped one of it’s appendages around Lugnut, pulling him in. Lugnut grunted, turning around and pulling into the other direction with all his thrusters would give. The creature seemed only barely deterred, continuing to pull as if a bomber plane flying at full power was of no concern to it at all. What did eventually deter it, was Starscream flying through it’s tentacle and severing it in half.  
  
The creature screeched in pain, flailing it’s remaining limbs wildly and tearing down whatever it hit. One of it’s tentacles crashed into an already dangerously unstable building, knocking loose a sizable chunk and sending it plummeting downwards - straight at two much smaller organics. The bigger off the two jumped to get out of the way, but the smaller one, when attempting the same tripped and fell, leaving it open to be crushed.  
  
Without hesitation, Blitzwing swooped in, transforming back into his robot-mode midway, shielding the tiny being from the rubble. The organic, having wrapped it’s appendages around itself during the ordeal, now slowly retreated two of it’s gangly limbs from it’s head and stared up at it’s savior, eyes wide and mouth gaping.  
  
“Are you alright, little organic?” Blitzwing inquired, smiling in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. The little one nodded shakily, but remained mute otherwise.  
  
“Well, so much for keeping a low profile,” Starscream muttered from above, though a particularly observant bystander might have noticed he was flying a lot lower and closer to the destroyed building as well, as though he had been in a hurry to get there, yet had abruptly stopped.  
  
“It cannot be helped, Starscream. What matters now is protecting those Organics,” Megatron said, flying closer to his second-in-command. Turning up his vocalizer, he boomed: “Decepticons! Transform!”  
  
All at once, the remaining Decepticons changed into their robot-forms, earning astonished and shocked gasps from the nearby huddling crowd. 

* * *

  
  
Cyrus, who had been ducking behind some rubble close to Blitzwing, unsure if he should attack the hulking robot-jet-thing that had just swooped in to save Archer looked at the flying giant robots with a mixture of awe and utter confusion. Were those things on Sumdac’s side or not? Androids seemed more like Detroit’s overlord’s approach to threats, but Cyrus highly doubted Sumdac would ever program one of his precious machines to protect a civilian, much less a civilian that was clearly part of a resistance group that had been formed _against_ him.  
  
And now that giant robot was gently lowering Archer to the ground, then immediately whirled around to shoot down a tentacle that had been gunning for their position, while taking care to put his body right between Archer and the monster.  
  
What the heck was going on???  
  


* * *

“Decepticons! Attack!” Megatron roared, charging at the beast and drawing his sword. Starscream was right beside him, showering the creature with sonic-pulse blasts from above, while skillfully dodging it’s tentacles.  
  
Blitzwing took to the air as well, using ice blasts to try and immobilize and slow down the creature, freezing this and that part of it’s body and shattering any tentacle he happened to hit.  
  
“Die, creature!” Lugnut bellowed, transforming his arm into it’s explosive form and burying it in the creatures body. The explosion tore out a huge chunk of it’s belly, gunk and slime flying off to both sides, but merely a second after, the creature reformed, slowly enclosing Lugnut’s arm. The large Decepticon grunted and tried to pull back, but the creature’s pull was too strong.  
  
Megatron flew to his side, cutting a tentacle that had been attempting to wrap itself around Lugnut and grabbing on to the bigger ‘Cons arm. Their combined struggle seemed successful, as Lugnut’s arm slowly came out of the creature’s body. Megatron’s arm started to spark again, the pain making him flinch and loosen his grip. The creature screeched triumphantly as it consumed more of Lugnut’s arm. A heat beam cut through the air, severing Lugnut’s arm from his body and sending both him and Megatron stumbling back.  
  
“What are you _doing_ , Blitzwing?” Lugnut shouted, narrowing his optic at the other Decepticon, and holding what remained of his freshly cut off limb.  
  
“Saving your aft, for all that’s worth,” Hothead snarled back, already firing at the creature again.  
  
Megatron frowned. “That was not necessary, Hothead. If you had helped, we could have saved Lugnut’s arm.”  
  
“Or lost the rest of- watch out!”  
  
The creature had used their argument to once again try and grab at them. Four tentacles at once zipped through the air, aiming straight for Megatron. Megatron’s optics widened and he tried to draw his sword, only for his arm to spark up once again and then go limp for good. Just before the creature could grab him, two servos shoved him aside and to safety.  
  
Megatron tumbled backwards, raising his helm to see what had happened. And froze. Starscream was struggling against the creature’s grip. Two of it’s tentacles were wrapped around his arms, while the other two held his legs and all four were pulling him in. Megatron flew forward, extending his still functioning arm, but it was too late. He could only watch in horror as the seeker was slowly consumed by the creatures mass.  
  
Rage and sorrow flooded his processor, For a moment, all he did was stare at the spot were Starscream had been just a nano-klik ago. He hard Blitzwing and Lugnut call his name, but for some reason they sounded far away. His body wouldn’t react. Part of him knew he had to move, that the creature would take him as well if he just stayed where he was. Lugnut appeared in his field of vision, shouting something. It was enough to pull him out of his stupor and reactivate the rational part of his processor.  
  
Barely dodging another attack, Megatron quickly put a hand to his helm and activated his comlink. “Blackarachnia! We need back-up at once!”  
  
“No, you don’t,” she snapped back. “What you _need_ is to keep that thing busy!”  
  
Before he could open his intake again to tell her he hadn’t been asking, she spoke again:”No, don’t even start! I’m analyzing the nano-bots this thing’s made of right now. Their programming makes them see any foreign material as a threat. And if you glitch-heads want me to find a way to get rid of that thing for good, you better do as I say! Trust me!”  
  
And with that, the comlink switched off on her end. Megatron clenched his denta and flew back to the fight, drawing his sword again. Automatically, his scanner activated to search for Starscream’s energy signature. His spark skipped a beat when he found something was responding from within the creature, feint but still there.  
  
“Blitzwing, Lugnut! Can you make out Starscream’s energy signature in this creature?” he called, already preparing himself for a negative answer.  
  
“Yes, but it’s very weak,” Blitzwing responded, apparently having managed to switch back.  
  
“Me as well.”  
  
Just then, Blackrachina’s voice sounded over the comlink: “Blackarachnia to Megatron. I found and hacked a primitive drone in the area. I’m using it to send you the frequency to shut down the nano-bots inside that thing! Good news is, as soon as the frequency’s applied, they’ll deactivate and the whole thing will collapse without any harm coming to Starscream. Bad news is, these little guys are so primitive, you’ll have to upload it manually.”  
  
A clicking sound drew Megatron’s attention towards the ground. A drone was driving towards the battle, using it’s sirens to make itself visible. Megatron touched down in front of it and kneeled, extending his good arm. The drone beeped and gave out a small disk through and opening in it’s head.  
  
“I’ve scanned that creature with the help of my cameras,” Blackrachnia continued. “And it looks like it compiled all it’s functions into a highly protective central processor around the head area, Which basically means one of you has to let himself get eaten. Good luck!”  
  
“I’ll do it!” Blitzwing called, coming up beside Megatron. “I’m the fastest out of all of us and my frame is the smallest.”  
  
Megatron hesitated, but then nodded and handed the disk over to the triple-changer. “We will distract it to give you an opening. Be careful, Blitzwing.”  
  
“As careful as I’ll be able to be, considering the circumstances,” Blitzwing smirked. Both of them took to the air again, Megatron flying to join Lugnut, while Blitzwing quickly transformed into his jet-mode and flew an arc around the creature, speeding up as he did so.  
  
The creature turned, as if to engage with Megatron and Lugnut again, but then suddenly turned and shot a tentacle out at Blitzwing, who narrowly avoided it with a barrel roll.  
  
“Does it know what we are planning?” Lugnut asked, optic getting wider.  
  
“It is certainly acting smarter then before. Like...Starscream...,” Megatron’s optics widened and he activated his comlink again. “Blitzwing, abort!”  
  
“I can’t!” Blitzwing answered. “I am already at full ramming-speed!”  
  
Megatron opened his intake to warn him off again, but a tentacle, larger than the ones befroe, suddenly wrapped itself around his chestplate. Lugnut suffered the same fate. The two of them hammered the appendages holding them with sword and servo but to no avail. The limbs were thicker in composition and seemed to have hardened as well. Megatron sunk his sword into the tentacle holding him. Purple, energon-like liquid emerged from the already closing wound.  
  
“It merged itself with Starscream,” Megatron said horrified, to no one in particular. “It heard everything we have said over his comlink!”  
  
The creature pulled him and Lugnut closer, already it’s body was closing around them.  
  
And then Blitzwing collided with it’s head, transforming back to his robot-mode and activating the disk as he did so. Without missing a beat the creature turned it’s head and swallowed him whole. A blast of electricity flared up and engulfed the creature’s body. At first, nothing else happened. But then, all of a sudden. the creature’s body began to change, hardening, becoming more and more brittle. Until it finally collapsed in a heap of white powder.  
  
Megatron. Lugnut, Blitzwing and Starscream hit the ground hard, yelping and grunting as they did so. Lugnut pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, only to promptly collapse back to the ground, when his severed arm fell right into his helm. Grumbling, he got back up once again, re-attaching the limb with some difficulty.  
  
Blitzwing was laying on his back, groaning and clutching his helm. “That was...immensely unpleasant.”  
  
“I agree,” Megatron grunted next to him, sitting up. Remembering something important, his helm snapped up and his optics frantically searched the are until they could make out the still body of a seeker amidst the creature’s remains. Megatron pushed himself up and hurried over to Starscream’s side, optics worried. Relief washed over him as he saw that, apart from an accumulation of the creature’s dust on his chest, he seemed unharmed.   
  
He kneeled down next to Starscream, smiling softly as his second-in-command slowly regained consciousness.  
  
“What...what happened?” Starscream asked, weakly raising his helm.  
  
“You saved my life yet again, Starscream,” Megatron chuckled. “And although I am grateful, I would prefer you not nearly throw away your own.”  
  
Starscream tried to say something, but then suddenly convulsed as if in great pain, falling back onto the ground again.  
  
“Starscream?” Megatron asked worriedly, extending a servo to try and help his friend up. The movement shook off the dust on Starscream’s chestplate - to reveals a gaping, sparking hole, still dripping energon.  
  
Megatron’s optics widened. “No...”  
  
He heard Blitzwing and Lugnut approach from behind. Without losing anymore time, he took Starscream’s limp body with his good arm and stood up, determination in his optics.  
  
“We’ll return to our pods immediately!”  
  
The other two Decepticons saw Starscream’s wound and nodded. Lugnut stepped forward. “I will carry him.” When he saw Megatron’s frown he added: “You can only use one arm. Do you wish for him to slip out of your grip mid-flight because you were not able to properly secure him?”  
  
Megatron opened his intake as if to argue, but then bit his lip-plate and nodded. As gently and carefully as he could, he handed the seeker over to Lugnut, who arranged him in his big arms just as carefully. Megatron’s spark sank at the sight. Starscream looked so small and fragile in Lugnut’s arms.

They took off in a flash, not noticing a small, flying object following them at a safe distance.  
  


* * *

  
  
“This doesn’t look good, Megs,” Blackarachnia said gravely.  
  
She was leaning over a still unconscious Starscream, medical tools in both hands. The minute she’d seen the other Decepticons arrive, Blackarachnia had ordered them to get whatever first-aid medical tools they’d be able to find in their own pods, but not before lowering Starscream against the walls of her own so she could examine him.  
  
“You are our best medi-bot, Blackarachnia,” Megatron said, fighting to keep his voice calm even as he noticed Starscream’s electronic paint-job getting paler with every nano-klik. “Surely there is something you can do?”  
  
Blackarachnia shook her helm, looking at him with a mixture of sadness and pity in her optics. “The damage is huge, Megatron. The medical tools I have here are good for patching up, but they can’t fix internal injuries. I’m sorry. If I had some more material, I-”  
  
“We wouldeth be able to provide that,” a voice sounded from the egd of the clearing. The Decepticons whirled around weapons at the ready. Two organics were standing beside a strange, futuristic-looking vehicle. The bigger one looked incredibly uncomfortable and seemed ready to bolt at any moment, whole the smaller one was grinning from ear to ear, hands on his hips and striking a confident pose.  
  
“It’s the organics from before,” Blitzwing said, blinking in confusion. “How were you able to find us?”  
  
“You’re not exactly hard to miss, pal,” the bigger organic grumbled, crossing his arms.  
  
Megatron narrowed his optics, positioning himself so that Starscream was hidden from view. These organics didn’t seem hostile, but he was not ready to risk Starscream’s spark over ‘seem’.  
  
“You say you are able to help us?” he asked skeptically.  
  
“Indeed!” the smaller organic beamed. He stepped forward and performed an extravagant bow. “Alloweth us to introduce ourselves. I am the Amicable Archer, protector of the poor and the bane of overlord Isaac Sumdac! And this,” he jerked a thumb at the bigger organic, “Beeth my faithful companion, Cyrus. We hadeth engaged in battle with the beast thou metal knights hast so heroically slain, and what’s more, one in your midst hast saveth my life! But you wereth gone before we could properly thank you, so we tooketh it upon ourselves to follow you. We heard your fellow knight hadeth received ghastly wound sin battle which you were not equipeth to take care of and so we humbly offer you to accompany us to our lair.”  
  
The Decepticons stared at him for a while, before their gazes slowly turned to Cyrus. The big man sighed. “He means we wanna thank you for saving us back there. Your pal seems to be in a tight spot and our base has some pretty neat robotic tools that could help you repair him. We can lead you there, if you want.”  
  
For a while, no one said a word.  
  
“Allow us to debate amongst ourselves, organics,” Megatron said finally.  
  
Archer nodded eagerly, while Cyrus just shrugged. The Decepticons huddled around close to the pod.  
  
“We should take the offer,” Blackarachnia whispered. “We’re obviously going to be here for a while and if they’re handing us a place to stay just like that, why look a gifted oil can under the lid?”  
  
“We cannot trust them,” Lugnut hissed. “For all we know they might have been responsible for that abomination! And we’d play right into their servos by following them to spark knows where!”  
  
“But they do seem earnest. And I saw them trying to fight that creature off when we arrived,” Blitzwing objected. “What reason would they have to deceive us?”  
  
“Apart from that, we’re running out of options and time,” Blackrachnia added, casting a worried glance at Starscream’s still body. “He needs medical attention and fast. Otherwise...”  
  
Megatron had been silent throughout the debate. Now he followed Blackarachnia’s optics, his own finding their way to Starscream’s wound. Could they really trust those organics? But did they really have a choice? He found himself wishing for Starscream to be here and take part in the debate. The seeker’s well thought-out advice and easy smile had helped him master more than one difficult situation in the past. If it was him lying there, what would Starscream have done?  
  
Then the seeker shifted and moaned in pain and that was all Megatron needed to make up his mind.  
  
“It is as Blackarachnia said. We have neither the time nor the options to decline them,” he said, turning his helm back to the other Decepticons. “Starscream is in dire need of help. The sooner we can find it for him, the better. Blitzwing, get the AllSpark. It is located in another pod to the south of us, not far from here.”  
  
Blitzwing nodded, stepped back and flew off. Megatron, Lugnut and Blackarachnia turned back around to Archer and Cyrus. Cyrus seemed curious about Blitzwing flying off while Archer tried (and failed) very hard to pretend he had not tried to eavesdrop.  
  
“We are taking your offer, Archer,” Megatron said, taking care to keep his expression neutral. “Lead us to that ‘base’ of yours.”

* * *

  
  
Said base turned out to be a massive abandoned factory at the rim of downtown. The building was rectangular in shape, with windows that had been reduced to broken pieces of glass years ago. But as Archer assured them when it came into view, it’s appearance successfully hid the fact that every but of machinery inside it was not only still fully functioning, but barely used as well. Apparently overlord Sumdac had bought and abandoned the place during his rise to power, in favor or purchasing, in Cyrus’ words ‘flashier’ places to assemble his drones in.

All of that meant little to Megatron. During their flight he turned his helm around to look at Starscream, carried in Lugnut’s arms again. And he liked what he saw less and less. The seeker seemed barely conscious, not even flinching when Lugnut touched down on the ground in front of the factory’s gate. Archer typed some numbers into a control panel to the entrances’ right and the shutter moved upward with a heavy rattling sound.   
  
The inside of the factory, true to Archer’s words was littered with machinery and machine parts that for all intends and purposes looked just as alive as the rest of the place. Several doors led from the main hall to other parts of the building and Archer hurriedly waved them to on on the far right.  
  
“This tract houseth a repair station for larger machines. I believe it mayeth be big enough to allow for your friend.”  
  
He led them down a dark hallway that lit up as they moved along, until they reached another big door. Archer repeated the same process he had on the entrance and the door slid open to reveal a massive plate on two lowerable columns, along with a large number of currently inactive robotic arms around it.  
  
Blackarachnia gave an appreciative huff. “A bit dated, but it’ll do.”  
  
She motioned for Lugnut to lay Starscream down on the plate, while she walked up to it’s right side and retrieved her medical tools from her storage compartment. With a quick look at the small, human-sized control panels, she put her hands on each of them for a while, before raising and motioning them a few times. The robotic arms around her sprang to life and followed her movements. She nodded, seemingly content, then motioned toward the platform which now had Starscream’s body on it.   
  
The platform slowly came upwards until Blackrachnia motioned for it to stop. She turned around to the rest of the Decepticons. “I think you all should leave now. This next part isn’t exactly palatable.”  
  
“Where should I put the AllSpark?” Blitzwing asked as he and the others turned to leave. Megatron thought for a second.  
  
“Leave it here,” he said eventually. “I believe the good doctor needs all the life she can get.”  
  
Blackarachnia gave a thumbs-up from where she was standing, not turning around. She had already started operating, robotic arms around her moving towards Starscreams wounds. Blitzwing put the AllSpark in a corner of the room where it wouldn’t be in the way, then followed Lugnut and Archer outside. Megatron waited until he had gone. Then he spoke up again.  
  
“Blackarachnia?”  
  
She grunted in response, annoyed with the interruption.  
  
Megatron turned around, looking at her, at the table holding Starscream. “I beg you. Save him.”  
  
He received no answer and hadn’t expected one. He wasn’t certain if she even heard. But he knew he would never have been able to forgive himself if he hadn’t told her. Silently he exited the room, door closing behind him.  
  


* * *

  
  
Blackarachnia worked as if her spark depended on it. Though it wasn’t really her spark that was in danger here. With every minute, Starscream’s energy signature seemed to grow weaker. It had gotten to the point she had to provide energy by shock to keep it from going out. For every wire she connected, every nerve she sewed back together, two more seemed to be giving out. His energon pump was failing, so she had to use two of the arms to stimulate it until it started working again. A vital nerve weakened and she had to reconnect or shock it back online. And through it all she heard the ever more silent beating of his spark.  
  
The small pauses she had to make to renew her download on the control panels didn’t help. Megacycles went by and she felt she had come no closer to finishing what she’d started. Starscream’s internal machinery had taken far too much damage. She couldn’t repair it all fast enough and even if she could, she felt it would break down again.  
  
“Come on, Starscream, don’t do this to us,” she huffed, though she was certain he couldn’t hear her.  
  
A beeping on the monitor she had repurposed into a pacemaker gave a shrill warning that his spark was going to give out again. Cursing under her venting she pulled two robotic arms away from the nerve she’d been in the middle of repairing and build up electricity between them and shocked. The warning tone remained. She connected two wires and ordered the arms to shock it again. No change.  
  
Blackarachnia shot up optics wide. Starscreams spark was shrinking. She could see it getting smaller by the nano-klik.  
  
“Oh no you don’t” she snapped, ordering all the remaining arms away from their current tasks and to feed-in. The arms put all their energy on the line, lowering and shocking the weakening light over and over. It was no use. Even when one arm after the other started to retreat due to lack of energy, she could make out no changes.  
  
“Frag,” she muttered, staring at Starscream’s dwindling spark, her whole body shaking. “Frag, frag, frag!”  
  
He was going off-line. He was going off-line and there was nothing she could do. She would have to go back out and tell the others, tell Megatron, that she had failed. Failed to save a fellow Decepticon warrior and friend. She heard Megatron’s voice, an unnatural pleading edge: “Save him.”  
  
She couldn’t. She’d tried it all. She’d failed.  
  
All of a sudden, a warm glow came from behind her. She whirled around, expecting to see Megatron standing in the doorway, somehow having felt what was about to happen. But the door was still closed. Standing right beside it, shining it’s light was the AllSpark. One of the oldest Cybertronian relics. The source of all sparks. Life itself.  
  
Blackarachnia stared at it, entranced. Simething about it seemed to beckon her, to offer. An idea began to form in her processor. An idea that the older religuous bots on Cybertron would have called sacrilegious. At best. She looked back at Starscream. And gasped. His spark was almost out. It would extinguish if she didn’t act quickly.  
  
With a new found determination in her movement, she turned to the AllSpark. She knew what she had to do.  
  


* * *

  
  
The remaining Decepticons had assembled in the main hall, seating themselves on the random machine part or assembly line strewn about. The mood was tense. Every nano-klik one of the Decepticons would raise their helm to look at the door they had come out of megacycles ago, Megatron the most frequent. Archer and Cyrus, reading the room, had decided to retreat to their own quarter in another part of the factory. Though there was much they (or at least Archer) wanted to discuss with their new acquaintances, neither of them wanted to disturb them during a moment of such emotional turmoil.  
  
Megatron had to restrain himself to not walk down the hall and tear open the door Starscream was being operated on behind. The main two things holding him back were his knowledge that disturbing Blackarachnia would accomplish nothing and his fear of what he would find.  
  
His servos were clenched in his lap, tightening with every cycle that went by. He couldn’t help but blame himself for Starscream’s fate. Starscream had always been there to have his back, to shield him from the worst the universe could throw at them. And yet, when the time had come to return the favor, he had failed to do so. Megatron didn’t know what he would do if Starscream would go off-line. The seeker had been by his side for so long. So many battles thought, speeches held. So many things left unsaid....  
  
The sound of an opening door tore him out of his dark thoughts. Blackrachnia staggered into the room, exhaustion written all over her face-plate. She collapsed onto an assembly line next to Blitzwing, putting her helm in her hands.  
  
Before any of them could ask, she lifted a digit. “He’s stable. Now he just needs to recharge for a while. I think we should all do that. I’ll start.”  
  
And with that, she dropped sideways onto the line and was in standby before any of them could say something further.


	3. Transform And Rise Up, Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Decepticons get to know their new allies a little more, but introductions are cut short when they discover they were not the only Cybertronians who crashed on earth and Overlord Sumdac is far from done with the Resistance...

“Failures! The whole lot of them!” Sumdac snarled, hauling his wrench at the wall next to the unfazed secretary-bot who had just reported to him.  
  
That was perhaps the only downside to having a non-human assistant, Sumdac thought. Machines might be more reliable, but they also lacked the satisfying utter fear in their eyes. They would not flinch, no matter how much his wrath flared up and that irked him. Everything he owned ought to fear him. Oh well. At least the robots were obedient.  
  
Not like that resistance- _ **scum**_ that had _yet again_ managed to elude him. How they’d managed to somehow completely destroy that techno-organic abomination that some of his finest scientists had failed to contain or control was completely beside him. He’d been so sure that had them this time! So sure he had retreated to his laboratory for two days and had ordered the secretary-bot not to disturb him until his return. Clearly they’d had help. Perhaps even from the inside? Now here was something to consider.  
  
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The high-tech weaponry, advanced enough to rival his toughest police-drones. The way his camera-bots seemed to mysteriously malfunction whenever a fight ensued between the resistance fighters and his own forces. Sumdac stroked his chin in thought. Yes, it seemed like the only logical conclusion. But who? It had to be someone high up, a human, obviously, intelligent enough to counter-engineer Sumdac-drones. Perhaps-

The comm on his desk sprang to life, interrupting his thought process. Sumdac growled and brought his fist down on the answer button, activating the small monitor. Seeing just who it was that had called him did nothing to improve his mood. A sturdy blond man with a much too eager look in his eye and a shiny badge pinned to his shirt.  
  
“What is it, Captain Fanzone?” Sumdac asked, in a tone that would have made a snow storm feel warm. “I am _quite_ busy.”  
  
“Good morning, Overlord Sumdac,” Fanzone chattered giddily, either ignoring or not noticing his employers foul mood. “Me and the crew did a bit of clean-up in downtown, y’know, bringing back the drones that got shattered before the scavengers got to ‘em. We found a camera-bot and retrieved it’s footage - which is crispy clean, by the way. You couldn’t find a human making pictures like that in that situation! This is why I love machines-”  
  
“What did the footage show?” Sumdac interrupted, before Fanzone was able to descend into one of his unbearable gushing fits. He’d appreciated the man’s complete and utter loyalty and devotion to all things technological back when he’d hired him as his chief of police, but after soon thirty years of listening to his endless drivel, Sumdac wondered if perhaps he should have gone through with making his personal police force a hundred percent non-organic. At least robots had an off-switch.  
  
“Right, right! Well, I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t just seen it myself, to be honest I still don’t believe it. It’s amazin’, it’s groundbreakin’, it’s-”  
  
“Just send me the footage,” Sumdac groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming up.   
  
“Right away, sir!”  
  
A file popped up on his computer and Sumdac send the data over to the flat-screen facing his desk. As much as Fanzone liked to overstate, he had been right about the quality of the material the camera-bot had carried. The picture was sharp as could be. And what it showed raised Sumdac’s interest. Four gigantic robots, apparently able to transform into flying vehicles at will battled with his monster, each displaying a different set of skill and powers. The footage cut off when one of the beasts’ tentacles grabbed and crushed it in mid-air, but Sumdac had seen enough.  
  
He’d been right after all. The resistance had had help. Help from above. No wonder they had disabled his cameras. If he’d discovered their little secret earlier...although ‘little’ was perhaps not an apt descriptor for it. A sense of nostalgia overcame him as he thought back to that fateful evening fifty years ago. At that time he’d thought of his find as a once in a life-time occurrence. He wasn’t particularly angry to be proven wrong, though. Without knowing it, the resistance had possibly handed him just what he needed to sniff them out.  
  
He turned to switch on his computer, went through some files until he found what he was searching for, then contacted Fanzone again.  
  
“I am about to send you a probe of an energy signature. Do not attempt to find out what it belongs to, it is extremely rare and way over your head. You will feed it to a regiment of your police drones. And then you will dispatch them and let them search.”  
  
“So we’ve got a lead, sir?” Fanzone asked.  
  
Sumdac smirked. “Indeed we have. Tell the drones they have orders to take any robots they find and bring them to me, undamaged. And if they find any humans accompanying them, they are authorized to use lethal force.”

* * *

  
  
A lean, great figure, raised it’s hand away from it’s head and left it’s hiding place outside the Terrordrome’s main tower to drop down onto and automated aircraft and onto the street.  
  
Transforming into a standard motorcycle and raced down the street towards Downtown.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an old abandoned factory on the outskirts of Detroit, the resistance in question were up to face another day. It had been a rather quiet two days since the incident and they’d gotten to know each other a little better.  
  
Currently, Amicable Archer had settled himself on Blitzwing’s shoulder and was rather enthusiastically explaining all the things that placed a bow above a regular plasma gun. The Decepticon listened and nodded politely after every second word or so, although he couldn’t for the spark of him understand what this conversation was actually about. But it was still fascinating to listen to a being that was so small and so vulnerable compared to him and his fellow ‘Cons, yet still threw himself into battle against opponents so much bigger and more lethal than himself to protect other humans.  
  
Lugnut and Cyrus were sitting side by side on an old assembly line, watching their respective partner and wishing desperately for them to break off and return. Neither of them knew how to talk to each other. Cyrus had mostly gotten over his discomfort after he realized the Decepticons were in no way associated with Sumdac, but they still unnerved him to a certain degree. So much so that he had forbidden Penny to interact with them until further notice. And although she had sulked quite a bit about his decision, she’d ultimately agreed to stay hidden in her room in their side of the factory, much to his relief.  
  
Lugnut felt much the same about the humans. He was by no means an organo-phobe, it was more that he’d never had the faintest idea what he was supposed to do with them. Most of the organic life he’d encountered in his life-cycle hadn’t really been intelligent enough to communicate in a way that he could understand and with how squishy and fragile organics were he’d always felt a mere touch with his giant metal claws was enough to make them wither away and/or break. True, this Cyrus looked a lot more put-together than his smaller companion, but still just as soft.  
  
The uncomfortable silence between them stretched out with every second, only highlighted by Archers’ and Blitzwing’s light-hearted chattering. Eventually, Cyrus gave an awkward cough and turned to Lugnut.  
  
“Umm, so. This ‘Cybertron’...is it...far away from earth?”  
  
“Very. Though without a proper star map, I will be unable to tell you the exact distance.”  
  
“Ah. And, err...where did you guys say you came from again?”  
  
“New Kaon. It is the main capital of our colonies, a safe haven from the Autobots and their tyranny.”  
  
“Huh. Kinda like our factory’s a hideout from Overlord Sour-puss out there?”  
  
“...You could say that. Although New Kaon is much superior in size.”  
  
“I mean, if it’s supposed to host a whole bunch of you guys, I’d imagine it’d have to be.” Cyrus lifted one corner of his mouth in an uneasy smirk.  
  
Lugnut made a noise that could have been a laugh, but Cyrus couldn’t be entirely sure. The behemoths’ face wasn’t exactly what you’d call expressive. He came to the conclusion that, if Lugnut hadn’t been at least a bit amused by his comment, he’d have moved away by now and decided to leave it at that. The two of them continued to sit together in silence, though there was an air of comfort to it now.  
  
At the same time, Megatron and Blackarachnia were standing in the repair room. The techno-organic was checking the monitors showing Starscream’s vital signs. He was still in stand-by, his condition having neither worsened nor bettered since her last check-up a few megacycles ago. Blackarachnia wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She supposed she should be glad he wasn’t going off-line at least.  
  
Megatrons was silent beside her, his optics firmly set on his second-in-command. She didn’t have the spark to tell him to leave and to be quite honest, there was no real need for her to do so either. It wasn’t like he was peeking over her shoulder non-stop. When Megatron hadn’t spend time getting to know their new human friends better, he had been in their makeshift med-bay, not saying or doing anything, just waiting for Starscream to wake up. Every time she came in, he would just mutely make room for her. The only time he had asked if she could tell him anything about his condition had been when he had entered the med-bay the morning after she had operated on Starscream to get his arm fixed on her behest.  
  
“We’ll just have to wait,” Blackarachnia had told him, trying hard to avoid his gaze by stubbornly busying herself with patching up his mangled servo. And that had been that.   
  
She finished her check on the monitor showing Starscream’s sparkbeats and ex-vented a little, turning to face Megatron.  
  
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but some time we have to discuss our next move. Particularly how we’re going to contact New Kaon.” She looked him right in the optics. “If what the humans say is to be believed, our crash-landing happened 50 of their years ago. And if my translations are correct, that means-”  
  
“We have been missing for 50 stellar cycles,” Megatron finished her sentence. There was fatigue in his voice. “I know. And you are right. Our main objective as of now should be to get in contact with our people. They need to know we haven’t perished. And that our expedition has been successful.” He ex-vented heavily, throwing one last look at Starscream and then turning towards the door. “Perhaps the humans can be of help. Their technology may not be as advanced as ours, but it has proven useful once already. If not communication, maybe we will at least be able to send a message.”  
  
Blackarachnia nodded, following him outside.   
  
When they entered the main hall they found themselves confronted by a very eager Blitzwing and not much less eager Amicable Archer standing on his shoulder.  
  
“Amicable Archer has just offered me to accompany him on one of his ‘patrols,” Blitzwing said, a wide smile on his face plate. “I feel that would help me learn more about the locals and their situation. With your permission, I would take him up on that offer.”  
  
Amicable Archer nodded. “Indeed! Methinks the metal knight would make a fine companion against Sumdac’s forces of evil.”  
  
Blackarachnia threw a cautious glance at Megatron. She knew he was usually more than capable of handling sudden requests, but it was safe to say the last few solar-cycles hadn’t really gone well for him.  
  
To her surprise, Megatron gave Blitzwing a soft smile with no trace of irritability or fatigue in it. “A good idea, Blitzwing. But do make sure to stay in contact. If this Sumdac is really as dangerous as our new friends say, he might well have something unpleasant waiting for us.”  
  
Blitzwing beamed. “I will! We will be back in about 2 megacycles.”  
  
“I doeth not know what that meaneth, but our watchful march should take no less than two hours,” Archer chimed in, putting his hands on his hips and striking a confident pose.

* * *

  
  
The two took off, Blitzwing transforming into jet mode in order to be less conspicuous. As Cyrus had told them in a rather bitter tone, drones flying their routes above Downtown wasn’t really anything special to the citizens and since everyone would be too busy keeping their head down and avoiding directly looking at whatever Sumdac aircraft was currently hovering over them, no one would notice that the jet was, in fact carrying someone.  
  
During their flight, Archer would occasionally point out places in which the resistance had fought (and won, as he never got tired to proudly proclaim) particularly tough battles against Sumdac’s forces. Ironically, the overlord’s stubborn refusal to use humans as well as robots in his newly instated police had made things a lot easier on the rebellion when it came to armed conflict. Since they weren’t in any danger of seriously harming some poor innocent sap who was forced to attack them they didn’t have to hold back and could use their bestowed weapons and abilities to their hearts’ content.  
  
As long as they made sure the civilians were evacuated first, of course.  
  
“After all, ‘tis our noble creed to protect the good people of Downtown from harm, not causeth them harm,” Archer said, crossing his arms and smiling proudly.  
  
“Funny,” Blitzwing mused. “We Decepticons have a similar ‘creed’, as you would say. We are programmed to respect and protect life at all costs. Before we came here, that usually meant the AllSpark. But you humans are life as well, which means we must protect you, too.” He paused for a second, before continuing: “Your little planet is so strange to me. You humans are so much smaller and so much more fragile than us and life has dealt you a heavy hand. Yet you just keep going and fighting the forces that oppress you, risking your life every time. It’s admirable, really.”  
  
“Oh, thou dost flatter, sir knight,” Archer chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “We doeth our best, but alas ‘tis not nearly enough to fully tame Overlord Sumdac’s forces, sadly. There art times I doth wish-”  
  
Archer suddenly interrupted himself and leaned forward to get a better look at the city passing below them.  
  
“Do I seeth smoke there?”  
  
A grey column rose in the distance before them, accompanied by a warm orange glow.   
  
“You humans have rather curious traditions,” Blitzwing said, chuckling nervously.   
  
Archer’s eyes widened. “Those arenst any traditions, friend! I knoweth these old factories, they have been shut down long ago when the tyrant Sumdac retreated the assembly of his armies into his fortress. Some of it’s old machinery musteth malfunctioned!”  
  
“But if I understand correctly, those buildings have long since been vacated. Why is it an issue if they get destroyed?” Blitzwing asked confused.  
  
“The fire couldeth take over to the city! Sumdac cares naught for the people who live here, so he will not send pawns to extinguish it in time if ever. We needeth to act!” Archer said, already fumbling for a particular arrow in his quiver.  
  
“Understood. Hang on tight, Archer.”  
  
Blitzwing turned towards the burning factory and put his thrusters to full power. Archer yelped as the sudden increase in velocity pressed him back into his seat. The two of them arrived and touched down a few meters away from the factory, Blitzwing transforming back into robot-mode as soon as the surrounding buildings hid them from sight.  
  
“Thankfully, our noble benefactor hast prepared me for this kind of calamity,” Archer beamed. He raised his hand to pull down a gas mask from a hidden pocket in his hat.   
  
The two took off into the fire. Blitzwing lowered his cannons, shooting ice beams into the highest fire walls. Ice crystals solidified in the spots the beams hit, suffocating the fire nigh instantly. Archer aimed arrows at the flames at his partner’s blind side, the tips of the projectiles releasing fire extinguishing foam upon exploding. In less than half an hour the fire was mostly under control, though Archer insisted on checking for any smaller flames they might have missed.  
  
They went deeper into the empty building, Archer lighting the way with yet another arrow. The ash and grime on the walls seemed to swallow the light as it hit them. The slowly melting ice created a steady background dripping. After the crackling and roaring of flames only a short time prior this place now seemed entirely too quiet. Archer had never liked places that were too quiet. It reminded him of...  
  
Cutting the memory off before it could fully form, Archer cleared his throat and stopped to turn to Blitzwing.  
  
“Well, it seemeth our work here is done. Shall we-”  
  
A quiet noise coming from the darkness interrupted him. It was a quiet, high sob, echoing from the high walls in an eerie manner.  
  
Blitzwing frowned. “It sounds like someone’s vocalizer is malfunctioning. Quite badly, in fact.”  
  
“We calleth that ‘crying’,” Archer said, slowly following the noise. “‘Tis a sign of distress and sadness among us humans. Though our youngest ones also often useth it to obtain things they doeth desire.”  
  
Not sure he entirely understood, Blitzwing followed the human. The light of the glowing arrow came upon a small human boy, curled up in the middle of the factory’s hall. His head was buried in his hands and he didn’t see to have noticed them yet.  
  
Archer smiled warmly and approached the boy, extending a hand towards him. “Now what is a young one like you doing in a dismal place such as this? Didst thou get lost?”  
  
Blitzwing narrowed his optics. Something seemed off about this small organic. Archer had told him that humans were very susceptible to smoke and heat, to the point where it was impossible for them to function in an environment that had both aplenty. How had this little one be able to survive in here this long? And then the boy raised his head. It was only for a split-second and an organic eye wouldn’t have been able to catch it, but for a Cybertronians advanced optic it was visible enough. A flicker, like on a faulty monitor.  
  
Blitzwing’s optics widened. He jumped forward, servos closing around Archer’s body, just before and ear-shattering explosion blasted out the factory’s windows.

* * *

  
Cyrus hated waiting. Especially if he had to wait alone. Sitting down and smelling the roses had never been his thing, not since Overlord Sumdac’s machines had overrun the city. Not that there had been many roses to smell after that.  
  
Aaron and Blitzwing had been gone for far too long for his liking now. And judging by the uneasy way Lugnut shifted beside him, he wasn’t the only one to think so.  
  
“Cyrus, was it not?”  
  
The voice startled him out of his thoughts and he jumped, looking upwards to meet Megatron’s worried blue....eyes? Lights? He wasn’t sure what they called it. It took him awhile to process what had been said to him.  
  
“Er, yeah. Yeah, that’s me.”  
  
“I do not mean to offend, but your human companion and Blitzwing have been gone for quite a while now. This patrol of yours, how long does it usually take?”  
  
Cyrus frowned. “Not that long actually. And seeing as they were doing it from a bird’s eye view it should’ve taken even less time today.”  
  
“I see,” Megatron answered. He seemed about as unsettled by this answer as Cyrus was.  
  
“Hey, um...you said you can stay in contact with each other, right?” Cyrus asked. Megatron nodded. “Maybe you should, y’know...contact him? Blitzwing? Just to be safe, I mean.”  
  
A penetrative beeping noise sprang up from Cyrus’ belt, making hism jump for the second time.  
  
“Sounds like somebody needs a check-up,” Blackarachnia pointed out.  
  
Cyrus looked down at the source of the noise, a small round device with a sleek white surface, his frown deepening. “No, that’s a distress signal. Archer, me and Pe- everyone else in the resistance has one of these communicators. We use it to call out to each other when we’re in a pinch.”  
  
He took the device of his belt and tapped a button. “You okay, Archer? We’re all kind of starting to worry over here.”  
  
“As you should,” a metallic sounding voice responded.  
  
Megatron, Blackarachnia and Lugnut tensed up at hearing it, Blackarachnia even hissing slightly.  
  
“I must say, I never would have thought organics capable of constructing such a neat little communication device. It is remarkably primitive, but for your kind even that can be considered impressive.”  
  
Cyrus’ hand tightened around the communicator. “Who are you? What did you do with Archer?”  
  
“Nothing. Yet. And as for who I am...I am sure your new ‘allies’ can tell you more about that. We have met once before, after all,” the voice responded. Cyrus felt like he could hear the smug grin of its’ owner.   
  
He grit his teeth. “What do you want?”  
  
“First of all, I want to make sure that this is heard by the rest of the Decepticon-scum. Are they present?”  
  
“We are all here, Autobot,” Megatron answered, spitting out the word ‘Autobot’ like an insult. “I assume Blitzwing is with you as well?”  
  
“And you’d assume right,” the voice chuckled. “He is a bit worse for wear, but he’ll live...probably. Since you already deduced who I am, I will skip the introductions and get straight to the point. I know you are in possession of the AllSpark. And if you want your comrade and your precious little organic pet back, you will give it to me.”  
  
Megatron glared at the communicator in Cyrus’ hand. “We will need time to think about your offer. Give us a megacycle to debate.”  
  
“Stalling won’t help you, Decepticon-scum,” the voice spat. “But if you insist on wasting your friends’ time, you shall have your megacycle. And when it has passed, I expect to see you at these coordinates, _with_ the AllSpark.”  
  
A light in the device flickered and it went out.   
  
Cyrus pressed another button on the surface, hurrying over to a control panel attached to a monitor and connecting the communicator with it. The screen flared to life, showing a map of Downtown with a small red dot flaring up to mark a specific spot.  
  
“I know that place,” Cyrus said, leaning forward. “It’s one of the abandoned factories on the other side of the city.” He turned back to the Decepticons, face hard. “If we hurry, we can make it there in under half an hour. We have to leave, now.”  
“Cyrus, it is not that simple,” Megatron said calmly. “We cannot rush into this without thinking. If this Autobot gets the AllSpark into his servos, this entire planet will be at risk.”  
  
“You’re not seriously suggesting that we’re refusing, are you?” Blackarachnia asked incredulously. “He’s got Blitzwing! And who knows what he’ll do to that human!”  
  
“Yeah, what she said!” Cyrus spoke up. “I’m not leaving Aaron with some crazy alien murder machine! I thought you Decepticons were the good guys and now you’re actually considering letting two hostages get who knows what done to them?”  
  
“You are both far too emotional.” Lugnut had stood up from his place on the assembly line and was now glaring at both Cyrus and Blackarachnia. “For once, I agree with Megatron. Handing the AllSpark over to the Autobot Empire is certain death. Two lives are not worth the prize of billions.”  
  
“So that’s it?” Blackarachnia asked, narrowing her optics at him. “We just let Blitzwing and the human die?”  
  
“We all must make sacrifices for the greater good,” Lugnut said gravely. “Do you think this is easy for me, Blackarachnia?”  
  
“I don’t know,” she hissed. “Isn’t it?”  
  
“Enough, both of you,” Megatron cut her off. “This is no time to argue amongst ourselves. Lugnut, I agree that the AllSpark must be kept from the wrong servos at all costs.” The big Decepticon straightened himself and opened his mouth to say something, but Megatron wasn’t finished. “However, I also share Blackarachnia’s feelings on the matter. We have already almost lost a fellow Decepticon yesterday. I do not wish to experience that again. Neither should an innocent human become victim of our wars.”  
  
Megatron turned and walked over to Cyrus, kneeling down in front of him. “Cyrus. You have stated that you know the place the Autobot has chosen for the exchange. Do you know it well enough to show one of us the ways around and inside it?”  
  
Cyrus nodded. “Yes, I think so. Aaron and I used to scout out these buildings regularly, in case we needed another hideout.”  
  
“Good,” Megatron said. “Then I would ask you to help us to prepare a nasty little surprise for our Autobot-friend. Though I must warn you, it won’t be without risk.”  
  
“Eh, what else is new?” Cyrus answered, giving a grin. “If it’ll knock that kidnapper down a few pegs, count me in!”  
  
Megatron smirked. “Oh, I should hope that it does. Here is what I need you to do...”

* * *

  
Hothead rebooted to a a voice frantically calling Blitzwing’s name. In his processor he identified it as belonging to the organic who called himself Amicable Archer and whom Blitzwing had, apparently successfully, tried to protect from a booby trapped hologram. He groaned in annoyance, forcing the rest of his systems to reboot so he could access the situation and more importantly get Archer to stop yelling at him.  
  
His optical sensors reactivated slowly and he lifted his helm to see Archer standing on his chest, only a few centimeters away from his face-plate. Hothead quickly scanned the human’s body for any damage. Aside from a few tears in his costume and some grime on his face, Archer seemed unharmed.  
  
“Will you _stop_ yelling at me, human?” Hothead snapped, still only half rebooted vocalizer making his voice sound hoarse. “My audials are functioning quite nicely.”  
  
Archer blinked in confusion and took a few steps backwards, but then shook his head as if recovering from some kind of stupor. “My apologies, friend. Thou seemeth to be rendered unconscious from that explosion and with the way the ghastly shadow knight treated thou, I wasnth sure you wouldeth make it.” He paused for a moment, as if uncertain about what to say next. “I couldeth not stop noticing that thine visage seemeth to have changed, along with thine manner of speech and demeanor. Artst thou truly not hurt?”  
  
Hothead ex-vented slightly. “No, I am alright. It is a long story. I am not the Blitzwing you know.. Let us leave it at that for now.” Suddenly remembering Archer’s earlier words, he frowned. “Who did you mean by ghastly knight? What-?” He tried to sit up and found that he couldn’t move his arms. A hastly look downward, revealed that someone had wound a thick metal cable tightly around his upper body, pinning his arms to his sides and keeping his cannons from lowering.  
  
Archer looked at him miserably. “I tried to stop him, but he tooketh my weapons and threatened to hurt thou.”  
  
“Not that he would have been able to stop me even _with_ them. But I wanted to stay on the safe side. You never know with organics.” Hothead and Archer turned their head towards the source of the voice. A slender-looking Autobot with white armor-plating and a red triangular visor covering both of his optics was leaning on against the opposite wall with his servos crossed, giving a smug smirk. “I see you’ve finally decided to join us.”  
  
Hothead growled, trying to break his bonds. “You! I remember you, you cowardish, puny Autobot! Release me at once!”  
  
The Autobot chuckled. “So you can slag me like you almost did last time? I think not. And I’d advise you to behave.” He lowered his helm, so his line of sight now aligned with Archer. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to the organic, would you?”  
  
“Touch him and you’ll burn, Autobot!” Hothead snarled.  
  
“Always so barbaric. You Decepticon-scum really are just mindless war machines,” the Autobot ex-vented in mock disappointment. “The only thing your kind is good for is destruction. Yet here you are, pretending like you’re actually capable of protecting anything.”  
  
Hothead flinched and grit his denta, lowering his helm.   
  
“Thou art wrong!”  
  
Both Hothead and the Autobot turned to look at Archer in surprise, who had lifted himself up to his full height and was now glaring at the Autobot.   
  
“Mine companion mayeth possess fearsome battle prowess, but that doeseth not make him less of a knight! He didst protect me from thy nefarious trap after all, didst he not?”  
  
For a moment, neither of the two Cybertronians said a word. Then the Autobot laughed. “You’ve certainly trained him well! If he was a little bigger he’d probably be easier to take seriously too, don’t you think?”  
  
Before Hothead could answer, the Autobot raised his helm as if listening for something, then put a digit to his aduial and smirked. “I’d love to stay and chat, but it looks like your friends just arrived with my AllSpark.” He walked out of the room, pressing a button on the other side of the entrance. A metal door slowly closed on cue. The Autobot grinned at them before it closed fully. “Don’t go anywhere.”

* * *

  
  
Megatron and Blackarachnia made their way into the burnt out building, carrying the AllSpark between them. Blackarachnia grimaced at the heavy smoke-smell in the air. It wasn’t bad enough to have a negative impact on her organic half but still strong enough to make her a bit uncomfortable.  
  
“Are you alright, Blackarachnia?” Megatron asked, giving her a worried look. “I can carry the AllSpark by myself, if you feel unwell.”  
  
Blackarachnia shook her helm. “I’m good. We should focus on getting Blitzwing and Archer back.”  
  
They stopped in the center of the hall, carefully lowering their cargo to the ground.  
  
“I see you’ve used your time well.”  
  
Blackarachnia and Megatron whirled around, taking defensive positions. Behind them stood an Autobot, servos crossed and an extremely smug expression on his face plate.  
  
Blackarachnia’s optics widened. “I know him! He was one of the ‘bots who boarded the ‘Nemesis’.”  
  
The Autobot laughed. “So you remember me? I’m flattered.”   
  
“I remember you getting your sorry soulanoid kicked by us,” Blackarachnia sneered. “Figures a spineless wimp like you would result to taking hostages.”  
  
The Autobot gave a derisive huff and put a hand on his hip, looking both of them over. “The name is Prowl. Though after this is over I won’t stay here long enough to get more acquainted.” His visor set itself on the AllSpark. “Leave it here and retreat.”  
  
“I think not, Autobot,” Megatron said coolly, stepping forward and drawing his sword. “Let us see the hostages first.”  
  
Prowl gave him an irritated look. “You will see them once I have the AllSpark. Now step away.”  
  
Instead of answering, Megatron gestured Blackarachnia to step aside, raising his sword over the AllSpark. “I do not like to repeat myself, Prowl. Release the hostages or I will destroy the AllSpark.”  
  
Prowl stiffened. “You wouldn’t dare.”  
  
“Wouldn’t I?” Megatron responded, returning Prowl’s glare with steady optics.   
  
The Autobot hesitated, standing in place. Time seemed to stand still as the three Cybertronians stood off against each other, trying to figure out the enemy’s next move.

* * *

  
  
“Are you certain this is the right place?” Lugnut asked, optic trained on the wall in front of him. Cyrus was currently feeling said wall with both of his hands, teeth grit in frustration.  
  
“Give me a break, I haven’t been here in weeks! Ah, there we go.” He peeled off a part of the wall, revealing a hidden panel and pressed one for the buttons. Cyrus stepped back and watched nervously as the seemingly solid steel folded in on itself to form an entrance about Lugnut’s size. “Gotta be honest with you, I had no idea if this old delivery gate even still worked. We found it some time during our second or third visit here and noted it as a possible emergency exit, if we ever decided to camp here. Guess I’m glad we didn’t now.”  
  
They entered the building together, treading carefully. After a while, Lugnut suddenly grabbed Cyrus carefully with his claw, making him yelp in surprise and placed him on his shoulder.  
  
“It is dark in here. I do not wish to step on you by accident,”he stated, when Cyrus gave him a confused look.  
  
“Er..thanks.” Cyrus stood up and balanced himself on the side of Lugnut’s helm. “Though maybe give a little warning next time.”  
  
Lugnut nodded. “Understood.”  
  
They made their way through the halls, Lugnut’s searchlights showing them the way.   
  
“Pick anything up yet?” Cyris asked, stretching to look ahead into the darkness.  
  
“A faint Decepticon-signal, but it is dampened. Blitzwing must be damaged to some capacity.” Lugnut’s optic shrunk, an expression Cyrus had learned to identify as his version of a scowl. “The Autobot-filth will regret this.”  
  
“I hear ya,” Cyrus growled. “Still got a bone to pick with that guy for kidnapping Aaron.”  
  
Lugnut and Cyrus followed the signal until they came to a locked heavy metal door, not unlike the hidden one Cyrus had used to get them in.  
  
“The signal is clearest here,” Lugnut said, eyeing the door up and down. “They must be close.”  
  
“Great! Put me down, so I can-”  
  
Before Cyrus had the chance to finish his sentence, Lugnut retracted his right arm and rammed it into the door full-force. A loud crash, amplified by the echo of the empty hallway rung through the air. 

* * *

  
  
As soon as the sound reached the hall, Prowl whirled around. “What the-?”  
  
Blackarachnia lunged for him before he could run - only for her servos to close around nothing as the hologram of Prowl disappeared into thin air. She caught herself, cursing. “Slag! Of course he’d use that trick again.”  
  
“That was a mistake, Decepticon,” Prowl’s voice came from the shadows around them, impossible to pin down. “Your friends will not appreciate this.”  
  
Blackarachnia and Megatron positioned themselves back to back, searching the darkness for some hint of their opponent.  
  
“He has us pinned,” Megatron said through grit denta. “If we move he will either attack or flee without us even seeing him.”  
  
“Yeah, he- wait, seeing?” Blackarachnia’s optics widened. “That’s it! How was he able to react us in exactly the right way, if he was never really here? He has to have been close by. It was the same on the ‘Nemesis’! He attacked Lugnut right after his hologram was destroyed, as if he was just a few steps away.” She turned her helm to Megatron. “Fire your cannon about a few mechanometers to the right!”  
  
Megatron raised his free arm and fired at the spot she had pointed out. A startled yell came from the area the shot had hit and a heavy ‘clunk!’ filled the hall. The Decepticons turned, Megatron aiming his searchlight towards the sound. Prowl lay on the floor, glaring up at them and holding his left servo. It was almost entirely shot off, only a fracture of a base skeleton and a few sparking cables remaining.  
  
“You’ll regret this,” he growled, pushing himself to his pedes and taking a shaky step towards them.  
  
Before either of the three could do anything further, the door behind him was blown open, shrouding the room in smoke. When it cleared again, Lugnut stepped into the room, Cyrus and Archer riding on his right shoulder, while he supported a limping Hothead on his left.  
  
“Where is that Autobot-filth?” Hothead shouted, trying and failing to push himself away from Lugnut and stand on his own servo. “I will incinerate him! Let me go!”  
  
“Thou art barely able to stand, friend,” Archer chuckled. “Perhaps thy vengeance can waiteth until a time thou art well again?”  
  
“Listen to the human, Hothead,” Lugnut said.  
  
Hothead growled, but he stopped struggling.  
  
“Hey guys,” Cyrus called to Blackarachnia and Megatron. “Where _is_ that Autobot?”  
  
Megatron looked around, frowning. “It appears he has gotten away.”  
  
“And he didn’t exactly leave us with good wishes,” Blackarachnia added grimly. “We should go after him.”  
  
Megatron thought for a moment, then shook his helm. “We should get Blitzwing and the AllSpark to safety first. The Autobot was hurt. He will not come far.”  
  
After gathering up the AllSpark and Blackarachnia doing a quick patching up of Hothead’s wounds, the group took off in vehicle mode, Cyrus and Blackarachnia riding on Lugnut, while Archer remained with Hothead.  
  
When they arrived back at the resistance’s base, they were greeted by a bust-in entrance. Rubble from the door was strewn about and destroyed Sumdac-drones littered the area.  
  
“What the spark happened here?” Blackarachnia exclaimed.  
  
“Oh nothing to worry about really,” a familiar voice answered her.  
  
Megatron perked up upon hearing it, hope and joy filling his optics. Could it be-?  
  
It was. Starscream stepped out from the base’s entrance, smiling. “It is good to see you all again. Though we did have everything under control.”  
  
He turned his helm and raised his left hand to give a (very gentle and disproportionate) high-five to a small girl with pink short hair who had made herself comfortable on his right shoulder plate.   
  
“Hi Cyrus, hi Aaron,” she beamed, waving a wand-like object with a glowing tip at the two other humans. “I made a new friend!”

* * *

  
  
Prowl dragged himself through the empty narrow side streets, flinching every time his ripped of arm emitted a spark. This solar cycle had not gone at all like he imagined. As if waking up on this primitive planet wasn’t bad enough, that disgusting techno-organic had actually managed to see through his technique and now he would have to spend precious time to find a repair shop.  
  
At least things couldn’t possibly get any worse.  
  
A metallic noise sounded to his right and he turned his helm. A large assembly of drones, a sinister-looking ‘S’ engraved on their torsos stood there.  
  
“Energy signature match,” they chanted in unison. “Retrieve subject. Return to base. Retrieve subject. Return to base. Retrieve-”


	4. Tunnel Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to avoid being discovered again, the Decepticons relocate to an old, abandoned mine outside of town. However, the tunnels aren’t as vacated as they appear to be...

“There we are!” Archer proclaimed, standing proudly atop Blitzwing’s shoulder and raising his arm to present the crumbling entrance to an old mine shaft.

“Stellarcycles ago I fought wars against tyrants. Now I am forced to huddle beneath the earth like a coward,” Lugnut grumbled, optic narrowing at the dust and cobwebs lining the tunnel’s walls.  
  
“What Lugnut _meant_ to say,” Megatron said quickly, shooting a warning glare at his companion. “Is that we are grateful for your help in finding a new temporary home on this planet. The carbon deposits in this mine will shield us from detection and it is not far from your city.”  
  
“T’was nothing!” Archer laughed.   
  
“I think it looks cool!” Penny chimed in, leaning forward to get a better look from where she was sitting on Starscream’s shoulder. “A real secret lair!”  
  
Starscream chuckled at her excited tone and brought up a hand to steady her, so she wouldn’t fall off. “Can it be considered that, even though we all know about it?”  
  
“Well the bad guys don’t!” Penny said proudly, still grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Starscream shrugged with his unoccupied shoulder. “I suppose that is true.”  
  
“In any case,” Cyrus walked forward, squinting up at the mountains. “We probably won’t be seeing each other for some time now. Sumdac’s drones found our last hideout and getting a new one is gonna take some time. You guys gonna be alright on your own?”  
  
“We should be asking you that,” Blackarachnia said. “If this Sumdac is so pit-bent on getting you, we should stick together, so we can protect you better.”  
  
“They have been fighting against him for far longer than we have, Blackarachnia,” Megatron chuckled. “I believe they are more than capable of looking out for themselves.”  
  
“And us,” Blitzwing added sheepishly, shifting the AllSpark’s weight on his shoulders.   
  
“We won’t be seeing each other?” Penny looked down at Cyrus, expression sad. “But I just got to meet them!”  
  
“Sadly, we haveth no other choice, Penelope,” Archer said, giving her an understanding smile. “Our presence wouldeth only lead the tyrants vengeful knights to them.”  
  
“And vice versa,” Cyrus added. “I’d rather not risk fighting again until we have a proper base of operations to retreat to.”  
  
The girl thought about that for a second. Then her face lit up all of a sudden.  
  
“Do you need _me_ to find a new base?”  
  
“Errr...no, not particularly,” Cyrus answered, scratching his neck uncomfortably. He hadn’t meant for that to come out like it did. What if Penny felt useless now?  
  
But he needn’t have worried. If anything, Penny seemed delighted to hear those words. “Awesome! That means I can stay with Starscream and the others, right?”  
  
Cyrus gaped. “What? Now, hold on-”  
  
“You said you didn’t need me,” Penny grinned. “And you just told them that you and Aaron attract the bad guys, yeah?”  
  
“Uh...” Cyrus stuttered helplessly.  
  
“Sooo, wouldn’t I be much safer here?” Penny asked, grin having grown positively smug.  
  
Starscream laughed. “I believe the human term for that would be ‘played’.”  
  
“Do not worry,” Megatron said assuredly. “We will watch over her as if she was one of our own.”  
  
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Cyrus murmured. He had all kinds of objections to this arrangement, but he also knew when he was fighting a losing battle. And, as much as he loathed to admit it, Penny did have a point.   
  
A mine in the woods, away from town, inhabited by a group of gigantic warrior robots probably was the safer option for her. Him and Archer would be going right back into the fray. If something were to happen, at least he’d know she was safe. Still, did the Decepticons even know how to properly take care of a child? Did they have children or the equivalent on that planet they came from, Cybertron? And even if they had, what if caring for a robot-child included incredibly dangerous things that a human child wouldn’t be able to withstand, like, drinking oil or something?

Cyrus stole a side glance at Archer, part of him hoping his partner would object, only for his shoulders to slump when he saw the other man’s face positively aglow. It seemed Archer, too, had made up his mind on the matter.  
  
“We taketh you at your word, brave knights!” he said, tipping his head to Megatron, who seemed mildly confused by the gesture and attempted to reciprocate by mildly tapping his helm.

Using one of his rope-arrows, Aaron made his way off Blitzwing and grabbed Cyrus by the arm, dragging him towards their skipper. “Come, Cyrus! We mustn’t lose time!”

They both took off, Cyrus throwing a last, nervous look at Penny who was smiling and waving at him from her place on Starscream’s shoulder.  
  
The Decepticons watched their human friends fly away towards the city.

“We should get to building the equipment for our base,” Megatron said eventually, turning to look at the others. “We may be able to use parts of the machinery already here for materials.”  
  
“I’ll help!” Penny chirped, earning a surprised look from every Decepticon except Starscream. “I’m real good with machines!”  
  
“I can confirm that,” Starscream smiled.  
  
“Well, we would appreciate every help you can give,” Megatron said, after a moment.  
  
The group entered the entrance to the mines, disappearing into the tunnels.

* * *

Some people had good mornings, but Isaac Sumdac doubted they’d ever been as fantastic as his had turned out to be. The moment his secretary-bot had woken him from sleep, reporting that the drones had been successful in their search, every hint of drowsiness had all but vanished from his body.  
  
Now he was leaning heavily on the railing overseeing what had formerly been one of his greater laboratories, now partially repurposed into a cell, single eye wide with manic glee as he looked upon the slender, still chassis of a giant robot, not unlike the ones Fanzone’s video had recorded.  
  
The thing was in stasis, courtesy or the stun-guns the drones were built with. Sumdac congratulated himself on the hindsight to keep them even after they had proven fatal on the human test subjects. It’s body was restrained to the wall across from him, connected to multiple machines and monitors via a multitude of cables.

The robot was massive, but, Sumdac noted with slight disappointment, not nearly as tall as the ones on the video had been. No matter. He would find and bring in those sooner or later. For now, this one would more than suffice for what he planned to do.  
  
After barking some orders at the scientists and assistants overseeing his new price, Sumdac quickly strode down the halls to his private lab, secretary-bot trailing right behind him. The doors slid open and locked themselves behind them, as Sumdac walked over to the center of the room, barely glancing at the grotesque display of a giant, robotic head, hooked up to cables in a similar manner as the unconscious robot in the other lab.  
  
No human employee had ever set foot in this room, and Sumdac fully intended to keep it that way. He did not need some nosy intern finding out that Overlord Sumday had had some...assistance with his sudden rise in the field of robotics. It was bad enough he’d had to share this latest discovery with them.  
  
Sumdac walked over to a console and pressed a few buttons, making the rest of the monitors in the room flare to life. He pressed a button connected to his intercom.  
  
“Do you have the data?” he barked, impatience making him testy.  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir,” the scientist in charge of Sumdac’s new guest stuttered from the other end of the line. “Sending it now.”

A few seconds later, a ping on the main monitor heralded the arrival of a new message. A data-package, to be exact. Sumdac shook with anticipation as he fed his computer the new information. Never in his life would he have even dreamed for this moment.

The discovery of the robot head 50 years ago had hugely changed his life for the better, but it had always irked Sumdac that he would never get the opportunity to find out where it had come from or who had built it. It had irked him to no end that one of his most valuable belongings continued to hold secrets from him.  
  
Now, with the arrival of so many new robots on earth, doubtless the same species, he would finally get the answers he so desired. What sort of weapons of mass destruction would he be able to reverse engineer from what he would find in the circuits of these beings? Perhaps he would even manage to build one of them for his own army?

The buzzing of an alarm tore him from his fantasies and Sumdac threw a glare at the offending pop-up window, informing him that there was a dangerous increase in energy. Sumdac rolled his eyes. Even computers had to be drama queens nowadays.   
  
With a few short tappings on the keyboard, the alarm switched off and the download continued. For five seconds, until sparks began to fly. Sumday backed up, shrieking, as the console and monitors he had sat right next to moments ago flared up and flickered, dispensing electricity and smoke in equal proportions as if someone had lit a massive fireworks.  
  
Before Sumdac could try and rectify whatever had led to this, a flash of light engulfed the room and everything went dark. After a moment, the secretary-bot’s built in flashlight lit up.  
  
“Should I call a clean-up crew, Professor Sumdac?” it asked in it’s usual cold, indifferent tone.  
  
Sumdac didn’t answer. He stared at his ruined equipment, mentally fuming with it as he did. It would take weeks to repair it all. Worse still, whatever data had been extracted and sent was most likely gone forever. And after this latest display, a repeat of the experiment was out of the question. The head had managed to withhold it’s secrets from him once again.  
  
Snarling, Sumdac turned and headed for the door, shoving the secretary-bot aside. He had other matters to attend to.

* * *

Just as the door closed, the cables above the head flared up again and sparks flew along, until they connected with it’s helm. The optics, which had been dark and empty a few seconds ago, flickered with a piercing, red light, as the head’s vocaliser activated and stuttered it’s first words since it had been ripped from it’s corresponding body fifty years ago.  
  
“Op-Op-Opti-mus Prime-I am Optimus Prime.” The flickering stopped and the optics came into focus, only to widen and race around in their head.   
  
Optimus’ vision, hearing and speech came back to him all at once and it was disorienting, to say the least. After, what he assumed, was a long time in stasis, his systems scrambled to make sense of what happened, only to draw static from the moment he had been thrown off the pod and entered the atmosphere. The fact that he was in an environment completely unfamiliar to him didn’t help.  
  
“What? Where am I?” Optimus tried to stand up, only to realize that there was something missing. Something rather essential. “Where’s my body? How long have I been offline? What kind of antiquated system am I hooked into?!”  
  
Apart from a propped up hand to his right that he had no way of knowing if it belonged to him, there was nothing in this room but incredibly primitive machinery. Any other Autobot might have panicked. feared for his life. Optimus felt neither of these things. The only thing in his mind was rage.

He didn’t know what underdeveloped species had had the gall to pillage his parts and bring him here. He only knew that the second he’d get his body back he would make them pay. Painfully.  
  
Right after he found and finished off the one responsible for his predicament. Megatron. Optimus felt his remaining circuitry heat up at the memory of the Decepticon and the nonchalance with which he had thrown him out of the escape pod. Only a few cycles more and Optimus would have held his still beating spark in his servos.  
  
One of the small monitors in his view suddenly turned on, showing a video recording. The Decepticons. Battling some kind of hideous, organic creature in what seemed to be a city. The footage had been recorded from a bird’s eye view, giving Optimus a good look at each of their faceplates. He noticed with disgust that they seemed to be protecting the locals.  
  
Typical.  
  
Decepticons and their pathetic heroics.  
  
And then the camera swung around to reveal-  
  
“Megatrooon!”

Electricity rushed through the cables, destroying the lamps hanging over the head’s podium. The monitor short-circuited and went out with a last pitiful crackling.  
  
Optmius’ eyes were still set on the now dark glass surface. If he’d still had his servos, he would have smashed it into pieces. If the Decepticons were on this planet, so was the AllSpark. It was so close to him, closer than ever before and he had no servos to grasp it with.  
  
At the thought of grasping, a small spark jumped over into a nearby mechanical arm hanging from the ceiling. The claw clamped shut and opened in short succession. Optimus watched it closely. He thought of wringing his servos around Megatron’s neck, ripping his helm clean off.  
  
The claw opened and closed.

“Looks like I’m not as immobile as I thought,” Optimus’,face-plate twisted into what might have been a smile, had his faceplate still been complete. He lowered the claw towards a console and concentrated all his energy onto it. The next thing he knew, he was flowing through the network.  
  
The entire city was laid out before him. He was in every computer, every motherboard. Every camera. His body might be gone for the moment. But Optimus had never been one to let himself be defeated by setbacks, not matter how big they may be.  
  
Spreading his influence further and further, he went in search of his enemies.

* * *

“This place is sooo cool!” Penny watched the high walls and strange stone formations around her with wide eyes from the console she was currently standing on. Her and Starscream were currently in a vast, circular room, directly underneath the mountain’s opening. Both of them had been assigned to set up the main console and all it’s corresponding machinery. Since Penny’s size prevented her from actually building, she had taken care of the circuitry.  
  
“The temperature isn’t that low,” Starscream chuckled, adjusting the monitor above it.  
  
Penny giggled. “Nooo, Starscream. I mean it’s awesome! And you guys really get to live here now?”  
  
“For the time being, yes,” Starscream answered. He gave the monitor one last push, then stepped back to survey his work. “I think this should work.” He brought his servo up to his helm, activating his comlink. “Blackarachnia, Megatron, we are ready to start the equipment. Are you all set up?”  
  
“Lugnut and I are ready,” came Megatron’s answer. “We explored and cleaned out the last of the tunnels and the machinery is dismantled for the most part.”  
  
“Human technology is ridiculously fragile,” Lugnut huffed. “It is like they want it to break.”  
  
“Or maybe it’s just been here for a while and you wouldn’t have been able to make even a dent in it when it was still in it’s prime?” Blackarachnia snarked. “Blitzwing and I are pretty much done with the medbay too.”  
  
Starscream nodded. “Alright. Penny and I will turn on the power now.”  
  
“On it!” Penny called, running over to the center of the console. She pulled out a wand-like object from her pocket and lowered it down into an exposed part between the cables. The wand lit up, sending a flicker of energy into the machine. Penny gave Starscream a thumbs-up, grinning.  
  
Starscream pulled a lever and the monitor, as well as the electric lighting.  
  
“Anything irregular?” Starscream asked over the comlink.  
  
“Nope!” Blackarachnia answered. “The medical equipment is all up and running.”  
  
“No anomalies in our section as well,” Megatron spoke up. “Good work, Starscream.”  
  
Penny gave a pout. “Hey, I helped too!”  
  
Megatron chuckled. “My apologies. My thanks to you too, Penny.”  
  
Penny huffed, satisfied and looked up at Starscream, only to see her friend cover his faceplate, which was suspiciously more colored than it had been before. Penny tilted her head in confusion, then a knowing grin spread across her face.

“Starscream,” she started innocently. “What do you think of Megatron?”  
  
Starscream jumped a little, but quickly composed himself and gave her his usual friendly smile. “He is our leader. And I am his second in command. I admire him.”  
  
Penny nodded, grin still on her face. “Do you like him?”  
  
“Er..,” Starscream looked away, nervously rubbing his neck. “Well, of course I do! He is a great ‘Con, he’s kind, an inspiration to our people-”  
  
“No, not like that,” Penny giggled. “I mean do you _like_ -like him?”  
  
“Oh.” The seeker seemed unsure of what to say for a moment. When he finally spoke again, he picked his words carefully. “Megatron and I have...discussed that matter once. And we both decided it would not be wise to get...distracted, during these times. We may come back to it again when Decepticon-kind is, you know. Not on the brink of extinction.”  
  
He half expected Penny to needle him further, but instead, she listened to him carefully and nodded solemnly when he had finished. “That’s smart,” she said. “Cyrus and Aaron do it like that too.”  
  
Starscream gave her a surprised look for a second, then shook his head, mentally scolding himself for his reaction. It had been easy enough to see, all things considered.  
  
Penny looked glum all of a sudden. “This fighting stuff really gets in the way, huh?”  
  
“It does,” Starscream agreed. Sensing that the girl was in need of some cheering up, he continued. “I should check on the other devices in this room. Would you like to assist me?”  
  
Penny beamed, hopping onto the offered servo almost at once. “You betcha!”

They set off into one of the adjacent tunnels. Not noticing as a lone miner-bot in the corner of the room suddenly gave off sparks.

* * *

Blackarachnia gave the berth and medical equipment in front of her an approving look, servos on her hips. She’d worked with worse on New Kaon. This was not bad at all for a makeshift medbay.  
  
“The human machines we found are more advanced than we thought,” Blitzwing spoke up next to her. “It’s almost like a more primitive version of our circuitry.”  
  
Blackarachnia looked up at him, thoughtful. She had all the tools she needed set up in this part of the mines. And there was nothing else requiring her immediate attention at the moment.   
  
“Blitzwing,” she asked. “How’s the firewall doing?” She tapped a digit against her own helm for emphasis.  
  
Blitzwing smiled down at her. “Well, all things considered. Though I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t at least a bit worn out. Hothead has been complaining a few times, but he always does-”  
  
His faceplate rotated.  
  
“Because if it were up to you, we would only ever ask for it to be renewed when it would already be too late!” Hothead shouted, before swiftly rotating back to Blitzwing, who gave a small exasperated sigh.  
  
Blackarachnia couldn’t help it, she let out a chuckle, quickly covering her intake with her servo. “Alright, we have a little time off. Let’s take a look at it. Wouldn’t want you to switch any further.”  
  
Blitzwing nodded gratefully and took his place on the berth at Blackarachnia’s inviting gesture. She stepped around the berth, lying her servos on his helmet and slowly removing it, revealing his processor.  
  
Her spark stung a little when she saw Blitzwing automatically tense up at the procedure. She quickly shook it off and proceeded to connect him with her medical computer, booting it up and starting to access his processor.  
  
“If I hurt you or if anything feels wrong, tell me,” Blackarachnia said, catching Blitzwing’s optics with her own to make him realize she meant it.  
  
He nodded, doing his best to give her a reassuring smile. “I will.”  
  
The medi-bot tried to fight down the ever-growing feeling of dread in her tanks as she started clicking herself through the data. Unwanted memories flashed through her mind, as they always did when she had to access Blitzwing’s processor in this manner. Of a decimated lab, many fellow medi-bots strewn about, offline or in stasis and a servo around her neck.  
  
Blackarachnia bit her lip-plate. It wouldn’t happen again. She knew better now and she wouldn’t let it escalate. She hadn’t let it when she’d programmed the firewall in the last few times. She wouldn’t now.  
  
Blackarachnia ex-vented a bit, then continued to program.

* * *

“Is this what organics call a furnace?” Lugnut squinted into the room he and Megatron had just come across. His voice echoed around the three metal walls, his blue optic reflected on the opposite wall. “This is nothing compared to the mines on New Kaon!”  
  
“It is deactivated, Lugnut,” Megatron said dryly.   
  
The bigger Decepticon gave an indignant huff. “I knew that! It still doesn’t compare.”  
  
He squeezed himself through the entrance, letting his critical optic run over the interior. Megatron followed, slightly uneasy. The mines were long abandoned, true, but rogue signals and malfunctions could still cause problems with the machinery.  
  
Apart from that, he just couldn’t stop the feeling of being watched. It was a feeling that had saved him quite a few times during the Great War and he had learned to trust it. But there was nobody in here, except for him and his fellow Decepticons. Was it only paranoia?

* * *

The little miner-bot spasmed a few times, before fully activating, it’s two optical sensors positioned on the sides of it’s small head that adorned it’s cylindrical, long body, held up by four appendages, flashing a deep red.  
  
Optimus never would have found this place, if the sudden power surge hadn’t called him here. It was no AllSpark energy signature, but it served his purposes well all the same. The small, primitive robot had been easy enough to access. From the data stored in it, Optimus could tell it had been used to manage this facility when it had still been active.  
  
It’s new purpose would be much more significant. Under it’s new master’s control, the miner-bot struggled to stand on spindly legs. Stumbling and swaying, it made it’s way towards the gigantic console and monitor bearing the Decepticon-insignia Optimus had seen one of Megatron’s underlings and his organic pet depart from.  
  
As soon as the bot had managed to pull itself onto the surface, Optimus had it connect itself with the machine, while making it look up at the monitor, now showing video feed from every one of the security cameras in the mines. What he saw pleased him greatly. If he played his cards right, he would be able to rid himself of all the Decepticon-scum infesting these tunnels and look for the AllSpark in peace. From there on out, well, he would just have to improvise.  
  
The mine-bot let himself into the mine’s network, ready to wreak havoc on it’s unsuspecting inhabitants. First, it headed for the systems of the medical bay...

* * *

Blackarachnia was rather pleased with herself. By now she had renewed roughly 80% of Blitzwing’s processor-firewall and had even managed to reinforce a few weakspots and possible leaks on the way.   
  
“Talk to me, three-face. How are you doing?” she asked, without looking up from her task.

“Never better,” Blitzwing answered cheerfully, though she could still hear some strain in his voice. “Will...will you be finished soon? I trust you, I do, but this position is a little...unpleasant to be in.”  
  
“Almost done,” Blackarachnia said reassuringly. She couldn’t blame him for being at least a little nervous. But she’d finish up soon.  
  
And then it happened.  
  
The monitor flickered and glitched. Blackarachnia frowned. That wasn’t supposed to happen. She gave the device a light slap on the side. The picture cleared up again. Blackarachnia shrugged. The cables in this place were old. Nothing to worry about, surely, as long as they didn’t give out entirely.  
  
A strange, choked noise from the berth made her look up. Blitzwing’s servos had curled into fists and he was shaking slightly.   
  
Blackarachnia’s optics widened slightly. “Blitzwing? You okay?”  
  
He shook his head.

“No, I-something’s not right. I can’t-!” His body stiffened, as if in great pain and his vocaliser gave up.  
  
Blackarachnia whirled around back to the monitor. Had she messed up with the firewall? But it had seemed fine...  
  
Except that it wasn’t locking up what - or rather, who - it was supposed to. Somehow the program had been reversed. Blackarachnia cursed, hastily typing away at it to interrupt the process. She had to stop it, before-!

The hum of a canon lowering warned her just ahead of time. She leaped away from the computer, narrowly avoiding two energy beams ripping up the same spot on the floor she had been standing at only a few seconds ago.  
  
She jumped to her feet, staring at the berth.  
  
Through the smoke, two large, piercing purple optics stared back at her, accompanied by a demented giggle.   
  
“Hello, little spider,” a shrill voice cooed mockingly,as the Decepticon pushed himself of the berth, ripping out the cables still connected to his processor while doing so. “Did you miss me?”  
  
Blackarachnia grit her denta, shifting into a battle-ready position. “Can’t say that I have, Random.”

* * *

“And I’m telling you, no self-respecting miner would ever-” Lugnut’s rant was interrupted by the sound of a canon being fired echoing through the tunnels behind them.  
  
Both of them turned towards the furnace’s entrance.  
  
“What was that?” Lugnut asked.  
  
Megatron’s optics narrowed. “I believe it came from the direction of the medbay. We should-”  
  
The door closed with a loud clang, locking the two Decepticons in. For a moment, both could do nothing but stare, then Lugnut stomped forward and hammered his servos against the door, narrowing his optic angrily.  
  
“Starscream, if this is your and your human’s idea of a joke it is in poor taste!” he roared. “I am in no mood for this!”

“I do not think the two of them had anything to do with it,” Megatron said slowly, letting his optics roam around the room. The feeling of being watched was stronger than ever, as well as the creeping suspicion that the watcher was not benevolent.  
  
As if to confirm it, the wall separating the actual furnace gave a foreboding creek before it ever so slowly began to lift. Megatron’s optics widened.

“Lugnut!” he called, rushing over and leaning against the wall with all his might to keep it down, warmth already rushing against his pedes as the heat started to built up behind it.  
  
Lugnut joined him a second later. Together they managed to press the door closed again, making it screech in protest.  
  
“What is going on?” Lugnut shouted over the audial-piercing wail of the door dragging itself upwards against their combined hold.  
  
Megatron didn’t answer, digging his digits into the metal. He had no idea either.

* * *

“What was that?” Penny asked, anxiously looking in the direction the sound of a canon had just come from.

Starscream frowned, following her gaze. “It sounded like Blitzwing’s heat-canon,” he said slowly.  
  
“Why would he use those?” Penny’s eyes widened and she unconsciously shrunk back behind one of Starscream’s shoulder plates. “Did..did the Bad Guys find us?”  
  
“No, I don’t believe so,” Starscream said, turning his helm to give her a reassuring smile. “Still, we should check on him and Blackarachnia from the main console-”  
  
The sound of several heavy steps and the unmistakable humming of a machine booting up brought their attention to a dark corner of the room. One green light flickered on, then two, then three, until a fourth of the room was illuminated in green. A legion of miner-bots, roughly half of Starscream’s size ambled out of the shadows, arms swinging pickaxes, shovels, drill and the like.  
  
Starscream took a cautious step back, raising his left arm to aim his sonic pulse canon. “Did we activate the worker-bots in this mine?”  
  
Penny shook her head, face pale. She reached for her wand with a hand that shook slightly.

The bots’ ‘eyes’ began to flicker, growing darker each time - until their once green lights were a piercing red. They raised their weapons higher and spread out, forming a half.circle around Starscream and Penny.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Starscream said, nervously lifting his canon even higher.

* * *

Blackrachnia dodged to the side, as yet another blast fired into the wall behind her. She jumped to her pedes again, not about to let her attacker out of her optics for longer than she needed to. Random’s all black faceplate had been the stuff of her nightmares for stellar cycles and now, for _some fragging reason_ , he had managed to break through again. Because she had overestimated herself. Just like back then.  
  
Random’s grin widened, jagged intake twisting with the effort. “I’ve missed you, Blackarachnia,” he said, stalking closer. “It’s so boring staying in Blitzwing’s head all the time. I can’t even talk to him because of that stupid little blockade you put in his head!”  
  
“That was kind of the point,” Blackarachnia answered, backing up into the tunnel. She had bolted out of the medbay as soon as she could to lure him out, not wanting any of the equipment to take damage but now she had to think of how to actually _deal_ with Random.

The bent stingers on her back ached, like they always did when a situation felt much too big for their owner. Blackarachnia’s servos coiled into fists. She wouldn’t use them. Not until she was absolutely sure that there was no other way. And there _had_ to be another way.  
  
“Blitzwing, Hothead,” she called. “I know you two are still in there somewhere. Don’t just let him do what he wants. Fight back!”  
  
Random laughed and lunged at her, forcing her further back.

“Worth a shot,” Blackarachnia mumbled. If she didn’t want Random to finish what he’d started deca-cycles ago she needed a plan and _fast_.

The others! They had to have heard the blast! No time to waste! Blackarachnia transformed into her organic alt-mode and ran off into the tunnel as fast as her eight appendages could carry her. She heard Random growl in frustration. The tunnels were big, but not nearly big enough for him to go into jet-mode and chase her and he was even slower as a tank than he was in robot-mode.

He would have to come after her on pede and, seeing as she currently had eight legs while he had only two, it would take quite a lot of time for him to catch up.

Whens he was sure she was out of his sight, Blackarachnia shot a thread at one of the upper beams, dragging herself up and into a dark corner. Not a klik to soon. Random charged through just as she settled herself, manic grin still on his face-plate, though as she’d hoped, he was way too caught up in his lust for energon to notice her dark, huddled form above him.  
  
She waited until she could only faintly hear his steps, then transformed back into robot-mode, raising her servo to her helm to activate her comlink.

“Hey, I don’t know if you guys heard the _several explosions_ in the medbay,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. “But if you didn’t, then let me tell you I could _really_ use some help over here!”

* * *

“We’re a bit busy at the moment,” Starscream snapped back, shooting down a miner-bot in the middle of attempting to bury it’s pick-axe in the seeker’s helm with the canon on his right servo, while holding another miner-bot jabbing at his legs back with his left one.

Penny was leaning over his back, swinging her little wand at a couple of miner-bots trying to get at them from behind, sending small energy beams at them. Each hit caused the target to vibrate wildly, before going limb.

“That’s right, you leave us alone!” Penny shouted, a triumphant smile on her face.  
  
“Oh _busy_ , huh?” Blackarachnia snapped. “Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s quite as important as our friend’s crazy side running loose around our new base!”

Starscream froze. “Random is out?”  
  
One of the miner-bots used this temporary distraction to bury it’s drill into Starscream’s left leg. Starscream hissed, shooting the machine before it could do any more damage.

“How did that happen? I thought Blitzwing and Hothead were supposed to be in control?”  
  
Blackaracnia sighed. “They were. I have no idea what happened. My equipment had a glitch all of a sudden and...well, you know the rest.”

Starscream perked up. “A glitch? The miner-bots we found turned hostile after what appeared to be a glitch. Could it have come from you?”

“Doubtful,” Blackarachnia answered. “The program I ran shouldn’t have influenced the systems in this mine that severely. Heck, it shouldn’t even have influenced Blitzwing’s processor that severely!”

“Maybe someone hacked us!” Penny chimed in, having stood close enough to Starscream’s audial to listen in on his and Blackarachnia’s conversation.

There was silence on the other end for a while, as Blakcarchnia thought about the girl’s theory. “I guess it’s possible. But it’d have to be pretty strong signal and it’d have to be send from a place where it could reach close to every system in the mines. And that means the only place it could have come from is...”

“The main terminal,” Starscream finished grimly. “Which is currently a bit out of reach for all of us.”

“All of us?” Blackarachnia asked. “Where are Lugnut and Megatron?”

* * *

“This is ridiculous,” Lugnut barked. “Is it possible to be that incompetent at repairing?”

Megatron didn’t respond, partially because he had learned long ago there was no arguing or talking in general with Lugnut when he was on one of his tirades, partially because he was still concentrating all his strength into keeping the furnace door shut. Despite their best efforts, the thick, metal plate was steadily rising, mechanometer by mechanometer. And although the heat already breaking through wasn’t enough to damage either of them, it was already intense enough to be slightly painful.

Megatron didn’t dare imagine what it would feel like should they fail to hold the door closed.

The tell-tale sound of an in-coming communication signal sounded through his audials and he quickly raised a servo to activate his comlink and receive it.

“Megatron, where are you two?” Blackarachnia’s voice was hushed, but she sounded frantic. “We have a situation here!”

“So do we,” Megatron grunted in response. Holding this damned door down with only one servo was already proving to be straining. He would have to cut the conversation short. “Lugnut and I were investigating the furnace. It somehow activated and locked us in. You wouldn’t happen to know why that is?”

“Let’s just say we have a slight idea,” Starscream chimed in. “Someone’s been hacking several of our systems from the main console. And whoever it is seems to be pit-bent on getting rid of us. Hold on, you’re trapped in the _furnace_?”

“If what you say is true, then that does not matter right now.” The door started jerking upward again under his servo and Megatron quickly leaned his full weight against it. “If the intruder is acting from the main console, you might be able to reach him and regain control of the base. Starscream, are you and Penny still at the mine’s center?”  
  
“Yes,” Starscream answered hesitantly. “But we’re having a tough time with the miner-bots. If you give me your exact location we might be able to-”  
  
“No! You would not arrive here in time. You have to take care of the intruder It is the fastest way to resolve this predicament.” The door screeched in protest and Megatron realized it was somehow opening faster than a few nanokliks ago. Evidently their attacker was trying to accelerate things. “Lugnut and I should be fine for a few more cycles,” he said, gritting his denta from the effort. “Do not worry about us. Find and stop whatever has infiltrated our systems, Starscream! That is an order!”

There was silence on the other end of the line, before Starscream responded, reluctance in his voice. “Understood. We will do what we can to reach him in time.”

“Why did you do that?” Lugnut snapped. “We will not be able to hold this door much longer.”

Megatron turned to glare at him. He was a patient mech, but Lugnut’s complaining wasn’t doing anything to alleviate the stress of the situation. “If you had bothered to listen or pay attention in any manner, you would have noticed that whoever is trying to send us to the Well of AllSparks is currently out of our reach! Starscream and the human child are the only ones of us who might have a chance of stopping him. If I’d had them come and search for us, they might well have walked into another death trap. And then our fates would have truly been sealed.”  
  
Lugnut’s optic narrowed. “And what if they do not find the intruder on time?”

“They will,” Megatron answered steadily.

Lugnut huffed. “You do not know that! This is a fool’s effort!”

He leaned back, retreating his servos from the door. “I will attempt to blow the door open-”

A dark-blue servo grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Lugnut turned around with a glare, intake opened and froze when he was met with a pair of furious blue optics.

“Come to your senses, Lugnut! This mine has been abandoned for stellar cycles. What do you think will happen if you set off an explosive here? The whole complex will come down on our helmets!” Megatron pulled him down, so they were faceplate to faceplate. “Whatever your issues with me or my command, if you _dare_ endanger the others in this manner, you’d best hope the furnace is hot enough to melt you before I get to you. Hold. The door. And wait. That is an order. Understood?”

Lugnut said nothing, only giving a silent nod and re-assuming his position beside Megatron.

* * *

“So we’re on our own,”Blackarachnia said dejectedly. “Great. Would have been nice to have the big guy as backup.”  
  
Starscream nodded, before remembering she couldn’t see him. “Yeah. We’ll just have to make do.”

“I’m good at making do!” Penny chirped, raising her wand for emphasis.

“I’ll try to get to you as soon as possi-” A loud crash could be heard in the background of the transmission and Blackarachnia cursed. “Or not. I’ll have to lure Random away. Don’t know how long it’ll take. We’re counting on you!

And with that, she cut herself off.

“Great. No pressure,” Starscream muttered, shooting a pair of miner-bots who had gotten dangerously close to landing a blow on his already damaged leg.

“It’s no biggie! We just have to get to the main control panel, right?” Penny asked, trying hard to sound cheerful. “We can do this!”

 _We’ll have to_ , Starscream thought, Out loud, he said: “Hold onto me! We’re breaking through!”

When he felt Penny’s small fingers curl around his shoulder plate, he activated the thrusters on the heels of his pedes. The two of them burst through the wall of miner-bots, leaving a trail of machine pieces behind.

“I can see the entrance to the main room!” Starscream shouted over the noise. “We’re almost there!”

Penny yelled something in response he couldn’t quite hear. The next moment, he felt a piercing pain on the leg one of the miner-bots had damaged. The corresponding thruster flickered and went out and Starscream crashed into the ground, sliding through the dirt.

He groaned, lifting his helm. The damage to his leg had been more serious than he’d suspected. The hole had widened, whether during or before their escape attempt, he couldn’t tell. The cables were laid bare, though not recognizable due to the amounts of spark and smoke emitted from the wound.

A moments of panic followed, as he realized he couldn’t feel Penny on his shoulder anymore.

“Penny?” he called, sitting up and searching the tunnel around him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” a small voice answered from behind him. When Starscream turned around, he saw Penny pushing herself up from the ground, indignantly padding dirt of her shorts.

When she looked up and saw the state he was in, her eyes widened. “Starscream, you’re hurt!”

“Just a scratch,” Starscream said with a grin. He propped himself up on his arm and get up, only to sink back with a pained groan when he accidentally put weight on his damaged leg.

Penny pouted, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t lie to me. I know what you look like when you’re hurt!”

Starscream chuckled. “You certainly do.”

Scrambling noises coming from the tunnel behind them made them both perk up. Starscream frowned.

“Slag! I hoped they’d take longer to catch up.” He turned to Penny, optics serious. “Go to the main control panel. I’ll distract them.”  
  
“What?” Penny squeaked. “But... but you can’t fight like this! And what am I supposed to do when I get there?”

“Deactivate and restart the console. That should throw the hacker out of our system for long enough to get Megatron and Lugnut out of their predicament.” Starscream dragged himself up on a wall, gritting his denta when his leg sparked in protest. “Go! We don’t have much time.”

Penny gulped, obviously still not completely convinced, but then nodded, a determined look on her face. She turned an ran towards the entrance to the main room.

Making your way through a gigantic main hall was much easier when sitting on the shoulder of an equally gigantic robot, she noticed. By the time she reached the console, she was sweating profusely and not just from the run.

She still had no idea who or what would wait for her up there, but she wouldn’t let her friend down! Sticking her wan into her belt she climbed up the box, pulling herself on top carefully.

She frowned. Part of her had expected a giant robot tapping away at the keyboard. Instead, a miner-bot, about her size and only a head bigger was standing there, one arm connecting to the console via some sort of USB-drive connected to it’s arm. Penny tilted her head in confusion.

This miner-bot seemed... different from the rest. For one, it’s eye-lights were purple instead of red like that of the other miner-bots. There was it’s significantly smaller size too, of course, but also it’s more delicate arms and hands.

Penny wondered just what it’s purpose had been before the mines closed down. No time to wonder about that now.

She pulled herself up all the way, pulling her wand out from her belt and taking, what she hoped was an intimidating battling stance. She had to shut off this console and if it was only this single drone that was in her way, she might be able to handle it.

“H-hey!” she called, trying to sound braver than she felt. “You better leave my friends alone!”

The bot’s head whipped around, piercing purple eye-lights now entirely on her. After a tense moment of silence, it ripped out it’s arm from the console and transformed it into a taser-like appendage, advancing on Penny with a threatening hum. Penny gulped, holdingher wand in front of her.

The bot stabbed at her with it’s taser. Penny leaped to the side. She fired her wand at the bot’s chest. Its stumbled backwards,slightly dazzled. Then stood back up again. Penny gaped. Had she miscalculated, when she’d adjusted the wand a few weeks ago? The beam should have incapacitated the machine at the very least.

There was no time to further dwell on it, as the thing moved in to attack again. Penny squealed, dodging another jab. Her legs seemed to be made out of jelly all of a sudden. She tripped and fell,wand falling out of her hand. The miner-bot buzzed triumphantly, raising it’s taser-hand over it’s head to strike.

The wand suddenly gave a stark, white glow form where it lay. The bot stopped in it’s movements. For a second, it’s eye-lights seemed to flicker from purple to a friendlier blue color, like the ones of the Decepticons. Penny’s eyes widened wandering from the bot to the wand.

The thing jumped as if shocked by it’s own taser and the blue was gone. Penny didn’t waste time. She grabbed the wand, still glowing brightly, aimed it at the bot’s head and fired.

A strange energy engulfed it for a moment, making it freeze, then convulse, eyes flickering wildly - before stopping dead, eye-lights blue. It stood there for a moment, then lowered it’s taser-hand and tilting it’s head to look at it. There was a strange, child-like curiosity to the act, as if it was just now realizing that it had it.

Penny watched it with wide eyes, before slowly getting up, not letting it out of her sight. She had no idea what had just taken place, but the miner-bot (or whatever it was) didn’t seem keen on killing her anymore.

“Um, that’s better! I’ll just... help my friends then,” she told it, walking towards the socket it had used to connect itself to the network. The robot stopped looking at it’s hand to stare at her, but didn’t do anything else.  
  
Penny turned to look down at the panel, still throwing nervous glances over her shoulder. She placed her wand’s tip onto the socket. Nothing happened. penny frowned and took her eyes off the robot to glare at her tool.

It had worked just fine a minute ago! Had she damaged it in the fight?

A strange clicking sound came from behind her and she jumped, realizing the little robot had come over to look over her shoulder. It made the strange clicking sound again, but now it sounded inquiring.

“I’m... I’m trying to re-start the console, so I can make the mine stop attacking,” Penny explained, not sure why.

The robot perked up and started chattering at her, using one of it’s hands to gesture at itself.

Penny blinked. “Do you... do you want to _help_ me?” she asked cautiously, taking a step backwards just in case.

The robot nodded enthusiastically.

“You tried to hurt me before,” Penny started slowly. “Why do this now?”

The robot hung it’s head, making a dejected sound. Penny looked at it, still unsure what to do or say. Starscream and the others were in serious trouble and she couldn’t shut off the console in time without her wand. This robot was obviously responsible for everything that had happened over the last few hours, but now it seemed like a completely different person.

Was it just pretending? Could she trust it?

An explosion shook the mines and Penny whirled around to look at the tunnel entrance she had come out of. The miner-bots were getting closer. She had to make a decision and fast.

Gathering her courage, she turned around to the little robot.

“Okay,” she told it. “Do it. But I’m watching you!”

The robot’s head shot up and it chirped with glee, running over to the socket. It’s hand transformed into a form fit to be plucked in and it connected to the console.

* * *

Blackarachnia crawled along the ceiling. She had transformed back into her organic alt-mode after ending the call. It was smaller and therefore easier to maneuver through the mines. And it’s size made it harder to spot.

Random had gotten steadily more impatient in his search for her. He’d fired several heat lasers to make more room for himself and in order to keep him from collapsing the entire mine on their helmets, she had decided to show herself and lure him closer towards the exit.

Now she was beginning to regret that decision.

A manic giggle echoed from the walls behind her, along with the sound of heavy steps.

“You know what’s funny? After all those stellar cycles of being locked out of my own body, I get my freedom by the very thing you forced into my head!” He let out a shrill laugh.

“You were out of control, Random.” Blackarachnia shrunk back against the ceiling, hoping she was too far in the shadows for him to look up and notice the blue light of her optics. “We had to do something.”

“Is that what you tell yourself so you can recharge?” Random asked,a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

He was almost directly underneath her now. If she timed it right, she would be able to get the drop on him and download at least some of his modifications. From there on out, she’d just have to make it up as she went.

She waited until he was right under her. He turned his helm, searching his surroundings. She dropped down, transforming back into her robot-mode mid-fall. At the last second, he turned sharply. His servo shot up to grab her by the neck. She hissed, grabbing at his digits. He slammed her into the wall, making her vision glitch.

Random grinned at her.

Blackarachnia gritted her denta. He was holding her at arms-length, preventing her from touching him and using her download. She wasn’t sure what he had planned for her, but she doubted it was pleasant. And without her, there would be no-one to fix the firewall and bring Blitzwing and Hothead back. He’d be allowed to run free.

She couldn’t allow that. She had no other choice. His overconfidence was making him careless. He had been locked away fro stellar cycles. He didn’t know about her stingers.

Slowly, ignoring the pain immediately surging through her system, she lowered her stingers down to his servo. Random tilted his helm a little, amused. “Are you going to give me a scratch with those things?”

“Don’t, Blackarachnia.”

Both of them turned, to see Megatron and Lugnut stand in the tunnel, both of their weapons raised.

“Let her go, Random,” Megatron said calmly.

Random chuckled. “What if I don’t?”

“We do not want to hurt you.”

“Too bad. _I_ want to hurt _you_!”

Random let go of Blackarachnia and turned to face the other two Decepticons, lowering his canons. A blast from Megatron’s arm canon struck him in the chest, throwing him onto his back. Before he could recover Lugnut rushed over, using both of his claws to pin him tot he ground.

“That is enough,” he growled.

Megatron walked over to Blackarachnia, kneeling down to her. “Are you alright?”

Blackarachnia grinned at him sardonically, massaging her throbbing neck. “Takes more than the crazy split-personality trying to rip my head off to put me off-line. You’re here, that means Starscream and Penny made it?”

Megatron nodded. “Penny has managed to deal with the... drone the intruder used to hack int our systems. Starscream is in need of some repairs. Do you feel up for it?”

“Yeah, just gimme a nanoklik.” Blackarachnia pulled herself up on the wall. She turned her helm towards Random and Lugnut, frowning. “I’ve got to deal with _him_ first.”

* * *

“I had them! They were right there and they just slipped through my digits again!”

Angry currents of electricity raced through the already abused panels and monitors, matching Optimus’ temper.

He had been _so very close_! A few nanokliks more and they all would have been sent to the pit were they belonged! But then that little _organic_ had interfered, done something to make his drone break away from his control with that primitive tool of hers!

He had completely lost contact after she shot at it and now he wasn’t able to re-connect with the systems at all. Supposedly the had rebooted everything. It was doubtful he would fint their hide-out again through that method, now that they were properly integrated into this city’s systems.

“Well, looks like I need a body if I ever want a good shot at them,” Optimus muttered. An idea propped up in his processor. During his tour through the data streams of this place, he had come to know a lot of things. Among else that this primitive settlement was under the leadership of one Isaac Sumdac.

A pitiful organic who had undoubtedly used clumsily reverse-engineered Cybertronian technology to construct a poor bot’s version of an army. It wasn’t much to work with and from what he’d found about the human from his recordings and files, both private and public suggested that he was a pitiful, easily angered man with a megalomaniac streak. But for the moment, he would do nicely, if Optimus played his holo-cards right.

Optimus grinned. “Maybe it’s time I have a talk with Professor Isaac Sumdac.”

* * *

“You sure your leg got damaged to the point of ceasing to function?” Blackarachnia, set aside her blowtorch to look skeptically at the part of Starscream’s leg she had just wielded back together. “I mean, there _was_ damage there, but I wouldn’t say it was enough to make your thruster give out.”

Starscream chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck and swinging his legs off the medical berth, putting a bit of weight on them. “You know, I thought it was that bad, but in the heat of battle I might just have strained my systems too much.”

“Well, I am glad you were not actually hurt that badly,” Megatron told him, resting a servo on his shoulder and giving him a warm smile.

Starscream looked up at him, the same expression on his faceplate. “Likewise.”

Lugnut cleared his vents audibly. “Now that that is settled, what of this thing?” He pointed a claw at the small miner-bot, sitting beside Penny on a nearby table. “Are we really allowing it to keep functioning? What if it turns on us again?”

The little robot chittered timidly and ducked behind Penny, who raised a protective arm in front of him.

“He won’t! Miles is on our side now!”

Lugnut’s optic narrowed. “Miles?”

Penny shrugged. “I have to call him something, don’t I?”

“And you are certain we can trust him?” Megatron asked.

Penny nodded. “Yeah, I am. He saved you all, didn’t he?”

“After he almost caused our destruction,” Lugnut muttered.

Megatron hesitated for a bit, then ex-vented. “It has been a long solar cycle. If you say he is safe for now, I trust you. We will discuss this further tomorrow.” He turned to Blackarachnia. “How is Blitzwing?”

Blackarachnia shrugged, crossing her arms. “He’s fine, at least his body and systems are. He locked himself up in his room for the moment. Told me he wanted ‘to make sure’.”

A gloomy silence filled the room.

“He will join us again when he is ready,” Megatron said finally. “until then we should give him time to recover.”

“Speaking of recover,” Penny said, beaming. “I’m starving! What’s for dinner?”

The Decepticon’s shared a frantic look.

“I, err, neglected to ask Archer and Cyrus what organic children eat,” Megatron muttered.

Blackarachnia groaned, putting a hand on her helm. “Good thing we’ve already gotten our communication system online.”


	5. Nice To Melt You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The resistance receives a distress call from their spy in Sumdac’s ranks. With the help of the Decepticons, will they be able to get him out in time?

Overlord Sumdac was _not_ having a good day.

The robotic creature he’d had restrained in one of his labs had gone into some sort of internal lock-down after his first accessing of it’s database, making the retrieval of new data nigh impossible.  
Not to mention the weeks it had taken to to clean out his private laboratory after his first disastrous attempt to re-animate the robotic head. The cleaning drones he’d sent were efficient and quick (he had designed them after all), but even they could only do so much.

He hadn’t been able to work on any private projects for a week and it would cost him a fortune to replace the equipment lost in the failed extraction-attempt. The resistance kept eluding him and his police-bots proved utterly incapable of tracking them or any other giant, metallic creatures.

If he had been able to, Overlord Sumdac would have isolated himself in his private quarters for the rest of the day, doing nothing but working on simpler, smaller robots as he had often done in his youth when the world seemed determined to undermine his efforts.

Alas, today marked the final test run of a batch of new and improved police-drones. Taller, sturdier and with much more advanced recognition software. For the moment, they were his best bet for nailing the resistance-scum. And thus, too important a project to leave overseeing the tests to one of his underlings.

Especially to one specific underling.

Standing behind the railing of the platform overlooking the assembly hall, Sumdac took a sip from his coffee, noting with annoyance that it was rather cold already. From up above he could see the human workers, scurrying about like mice and throwing nervous looks at him every now and again. They knew he was in a bad mood. And it was never good when Overlord Sumdac was in a bad mood. The only smile in the room came from Fanzone, who was standing to his left, eyes wide with anticipation, like a child about to receive birthday presents.

“Man, this is exciting! Those machines are gonna do so much good on the street sir, I can tell! Dunno what my wife keeps whining about, I’ve never seen those bad boys target anyone they weren’t s’posed to-”

Sumdac did his best to blend out the man’s ranting, gave half-hearted wave. “Begin the final test run.”

The scientist working the console to his right, a nervous man with blond, long hair that made Sumdac keenly aware of his own bald crown and ridiculous sunglasses turned to push a few buttons.

The light signaling the drones being active flared up and the machine straightened from it’s motionless slump and raised its arm cannons. It’s build in police sirens blared as it moved forwards toward the target set up for it across the room. Sumdac huffed approvingly. At least some machines wouldn’t disappoint him today.

But then it happened.

The drone twitched, stopping in it’s advance. Then, all of a sudden, it began to turn away from the target, arm canon still raised.

Sumdac frowned. Fanzone nervously shuffled his feet next to him.

“Deactivate it,” Sumdac ordered, pointing at the malfunctioning drone.

A few hasty typing-noises came from behind.

The drone didn’t stop. Instead, it’s canon whirled to life and fired - right at the wall behind the terrified spectators. Bullets tore through steel and metal, sparks flying everywhere. Workers screamed in a panic, running for the emergency exists.

Sumdac barely managed to dodge a shot. He heard Fanzone give a panicked screech as he dove down.

“What are you _doing_ you incompetent buffoon?” Sumdac barked at the scientist. “Deactivate it!”

“I’m trying, Sir! It’s not reacting!” the man yelled back, frantically pushing button after button on his console.

He needn’t have bothered. The drone suddenly stopped dead in it’s tracks. Sparks flew out of it’s joints, making it’s body twitch. Smoke billowed out of it’s back, followed by a small explosion that made it jerk forward, before, with a last, pathetic creak, it fell in on itself altogether, a sad pile of burning, sparking, smoking metal.

Sumday watched it all, the grip on his mug getting tighter with every second. A small crack formed itself on the mug as the robot burned away.

“How could this have happened?” he growled, slowly turning around to the scientist on the console.

The man flinched under his boss’ piercing glare. “I-I don’t know, Sir. Probably a glitch. I’ll have it disassembled an thoroughly checked for bugs!”

“ _I’ll_ do that,” Sumdac snapped. “Evidently I am the only scientist around here worth his salt!” He whirled around, heading for the exit, ignoring Fanzone who was currently whimpering on the floor in a fetal position, mumbling something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “I’ll never doubt my wife again.”

Sumdac snorted. How easily humans were cowed by minor setbacks. He would never have gotten so far in the world, had his enthusiasm been as easy to curb as his chief of police’s.

* * *

Prometheus Black watched his ‘boss’ leave, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his back. Sumdac hadn’t suspected a thing. He’d been worried he’d been too obvious this time.

Though he suspected most of his luck in that regard was due to Sumdac being utterly uninterested in keeping up with his human subordinates beyond the most necessary interactions.

It was this attitude that had gotten Black into several high-ranking position in the first place. He’d merely had to show enough aptitude to be promoted and simultaneously be subservient enough to not get Sumdac’s attention too much. It was easier than it sounded. And it certainly made his job as a mole all the easier.

Though his latest maneuver might have possibly changed that. Prometheus wasn’t really happy with it. The new police drones would have proved disastrous to the rest of the resistance if he’d allowed them to be released at this point in time. He rarely got away from his job long enough to see to Aaron’s equipment and Cyrus’ mutation-device often enough these days. Penny was a good student and did maintenance well enough whenever he wasn’t available, but she was still only a child and it would have been irresponsible to put the work on her full-time. So he’d decided to take one for the team by risking his anonymity - and sabotaged Sumdac’s latest work.

It hadn’t been easy. It had taken him days to develop the acid he’d carefully applied to the drone before the final test and he hadn’t anticipated that it would affect the thing that much. The acid was developed from the blood (?) of the giant metallic creature Sumdac was currently housing in one of his bigger labs. Prometheus had snuck some of it away while his colleagues hadn’t been looking, after witnessing how some of it eat right through one of the toughest surveillance drones patrolling around the body.

Thinking about it now made him remember that his own laboratory still contained the vial he’d used to concentrate it. He’d have to clean that up first things first. Sumdac never visited his employees at their workplaces, but now was probably not the time to rely on a tyrant’s bad habits. Especially when said tyrant had loudly announced that he would investigate the matter himself.

* * *

“Failures! All of them!”

Sumdac brought his fist down hard on the table, shaking up the pieces of metal in front of him. At his orders, the drone had been disassembled and delivered to his private laboratory. He no longer trusted the scientists from combat-drone development to not completely muck up their investigation. And the ever-growing suspicion of sabotage had flared up again as well.

The drone had been working perfectly before the fateful test run this morning. It simply could have been bad luck that a machine that would have brought him closer to wiping out his fiercest enemies just happened to break down on the day he’d wanted to determine if it was actually suitable for field deployment. But only fools believed in abstract concepts like luck. And Sumdac was anything but.

And so he examined. Upon closer inspection he managed to isolate a foreign substance unlike any of the fuels used to power the rest of his army. But no matter how he analyzed it, what methods he used to determine his origin, he found nothing. It was like the substance had appeared from thin air. There was nothing on earth even closely resembling it’s structure, no components that seemed in any way familiar. It was maddening!

“This is hopeless,” he grumbled, letting himself fall back on his chair and massaging the bridge of his nose. “There is no being on earth who knows of this substance.”

“I do.”

“Well, no being on earth but you-” Sumdac stiffened. He whirled around, eyes wildly searching the room for an intruder - only to land on the disembodied head, still hooked up to a multitude of cables. It’s eyes were glowing a piercing red. And it was watching him.

Sumdac blinked. “You... you spoke.”

It wasn’t his most astute observation, but it was the only thing he could think of at the moment.

The head’s eyes narrowed a little and Sumdac got a feeling if it’s mouth had still been complete it would have given him a derisive smirk. “I did, Professor Sumdac.”

Sumdac felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. “You know my name?”

“I know a lot of things,” the head answered nonchalantly. “Things that would surely benefit you. For example, that fluid you spend the last two hours analyzing. It’s concentrated energon.”

“And you know this how?” Sumdac asked, frowning.

“Because it’s an essential part of every cybertronian. Cybertronians like me or the Decepticons. And those last ones, for your information, are the ones that have been causing you so much trouble as of late.

“Fortunately for you, I have a score to settle with them. Specifically with their leader. So we’re currently, as you humans would say, in the same boat. You need information about... everything, really. And I need a body, so I can rip Megatron apart with my own, two servos. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.”

Sumdac was silent for a moment. His mind was reeling. In just a few seconds, this talking head of an alien creature a, a “cybertronian” had answered almost every burning question that had plagued him for over ten years. And it was offering more. Still, his paranoid side remained skeptical.

“And how do I know,” he said slowly. “That you aren’t in some way associated with those ‘Decepticons’? That you’re not just feeding me lies, to trick me into repairing you and then have your big friends out there break in and tear my empire apart?”

The head made a sound that sounded a lot like a snort. “I would have to care about your empire to want to break it.” It’s eyes flashed for a moment. “And do not compare me to the Decepticon-scum! My name is Optimus Prime and I am an Autobot. We are infinitely superior to them.”

Sumdac nodded and allowed himself a small smirk. Interesting. There was more to those aliens than he’d realized. Evidently some sort of conflict took place between the two factions, the ‘Decepticons’ and the ‘Autobots’. And his guest seemed very invested in it. It was not much information to go on, but he’d built his empire from less. For now, he would have to gauge how serious ‘Optimus Prime’ was about cooperating.

“Let’s say I believe you,” Sumdac started, getting up and walking towards the head, hands folded behind his back. “It still seems as if you are more dependent on this relationship than I am. I will need something from you, to know you really are as useful as you claim to be.”

“I can tell you the identity of the spy in your ranks,” Optimus replied.

“And how would you do that?”

“You’ve connected me to your entire network when you first tried to wake me up. My audials and optics are practically everywhere in this building. And they just so happened to pick up how one of your trusted employees sabotaged that primitive drone you tested this morning.”

Sumdac’s eye twitched at the insult to his robotics, but he suppressed his anger and kept his face neutral. “Tell me more.”

* * *

Prometheus sighed, leaning back in his chair. It would still be hours until he could call it a day and he steadily found himself more nervous. He’d had no time to remove what remained of the acid from the drone before it had been delivered to Sumdac’s private lab. There was nothing about it that could have linked him to the failed test, but he was still on edge.

Sumdac would find it, that was for certain. Meaning he’d have to think of another way to keep the new drone from release. Maybe he could plant a signal-disruptor on it, to mess up it’s recognition software? Behind him, the leftover acid dripped away into a chemical waste container. It would take some time until he’d be able to dispose of it safely.

A blip sounded from his computer. Prometheus frowned and turned to face the screen. On a normal Sumdac-device, the sound would have been a reminder to get his computer to maintenance. Prometheus had tweaked his a little. Now it was connected to a private encrypted channel that would allow him to safely contact the outside world and be contacted safely in turn.

He pressed a few buttons and a video chat opened, showing a frowning, rotund man in his fifties wearing blue sunglasses and a grey suit.

“I was just informed that the new Sumdac Police Drone failed it’s final test run,” he said, not even bothering with a greeting. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”

Prometheus sighed, dragging his hands down his face. He should have anticipated a lecture, really. “Look Mr. Powell, if those new drones would have gotten released, we would have been in big trouble. Their recognition software-”

“Prometheus,” Powell interrupted. “I’m well aware you wouldn’t take such risks unprompted. But I need you to realize what’s at stake here. Currently you’re our only inside man. And we’re thinly staffed as it is. I think Sumdac’s been suspecting me as of late. If he gets wise to you, I won’t be able to help you. Do you understand?”

Promtheus gulped. “Yes, Mr. Powell.”

“Watch your back, Prometheus.” The video call ended before Prometheus could answer.

Only a second after, a blip on the official message channel for Sumdac-employees popped up. Prometheus stiffened, before forcing himself to relax. It was most likely nothing. Probably a subordinate asking for advice. He would get those every now and again. He had a reputation for being surprisingly lenient for one of Sumdac’s inner circle.

His hopes were dashed as soon as he opened the channel and was met with Sumdac’s grinning face.

“Professor Black,” Sumdac said, tone cordial enough to make the hairs on Prometheus' neck stand up. “I am afraid some issues have come up with your personal file.”

“R-Really?” Prometheus gripped the arms rests of his chair to keep his hands from shaking.

“Indeed,” Sumdac nodded. “I will need you to report to my office.”

Prometheus knew an order when he heard one. His left hand wandered into his pocket, coiling around a small quadrangular device with a single button on it.

“Sir, I really think I should supervise the reconstruction of our new drone model-”

“I did not ask what you were thinking,” Sumdac cut him off waspishly. “And neither do I care. You will report to my office, now. Do not make me wait.”

The video feed was cut off. Prometheus wasted no time. He pressed the button. He had approximately a few minutes before Sumdac would send security drones to collect him. If he hurried, he’d be able to grab a few of his makeshift emergency weaponry and fend them off long enough to escape.

Prometheus turned around, only to stop right in his tracks, eyes widened. Unnoticed by him, the acid had eaten itself through the container, to the point the ground was about to give in. And it did. Warning sirens flared up as the acid hit the ground, noxious gas rising into the air and engulfing the lab.

Prometheus coughed, feebly trying to close his nose and mouth with his hand at the same time. He felt the gas seeping into his skin. It burned, a thousand times worse than any of the burn- wounds he’d ever gotten while working on gadgets for Sumdac or the resistance. It was all he could do to keep himself from screaming. Teeth clenched he frantically felt for the door, stumbling into the corridor, one hand still clasping the frame.

He couldn’t die yet. Who would supply Cyrus with the vitamins he needed to keep his body stable? Who would do maintenance of Aaron’s bow? Who would read stories to Penny? With newfound determination, Prometheus let go of the door and stumbled onward, unaware that the part of the frame he’d gripped had started dissolving.

* * *

Several miles away, in an abandoned mine in the woods, in the Decepticon’s medical bay, Aaron Archer looked at his communicator with a worried frown.

“Is something wrong?”

Aaron looked up at Megatron, who had made his way over upon seeing his on his human ally’s face.

“I feareth it is so, friend,” Aaron said gloomily. “Our scout stationed in the despot’s castle haseth send me a distress call on a secure channel. He would not doeth that, unless he was in dire peril.”

Cyrus gave an apprehensive grunt and looked over his partner’s shoulder. “If the prof’s in trouble, so are we. Our equipment’s been lagging behind for a while now. We’ll be hanging out dry if Sumdac get him into his hands.”

Blackarachnia, who until that point had been busy knocking a dent out of Lugnut’s leg, perked up at that. “You think he’s been compromised?”

“Optics on the repair-job, woman!” Lugnut snapped, nervously eyeing the small but solid hammer hovering over his leg.

“I should tell _you_ that,” Blackarachnia fired back, glaring at him. “What kind of malfunction was your processor having for you to think exploring one of the oldest, most broken tunnels would be a good idea? You’re lucky you’re heavily armored or you’d have been scrap-metal when it came down”

The bigger ‘Con huffed. “I was participating in an honorable organic ritual with the young organic, called ‘hide-and-seek’. That tunnel seemed like an ideal hiding place.”

Blackarachnia chose not to comment on that and went back to her work.

“What will you do now?” Megatron asked.

“Get him out, what else?” Cyrus growled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Won’t be easy though, ‘specially if Sumdac’s already gunning for him.”

Megatron nodded. “We will support you in any way we can. I will inform Blitzwing and Starscream as soon as they and Penny return from their ‘hide-and-seek’-ritual in the woods.”

“The woods!” Lugnut shouted, smacking the medical berth with a servo. “Of course! Why did I not think of that? Truly, the small organic called Penny is a genius of strategy.”

“No, she’s just not a complete bolthead,” Blackarachnia mumbled, finishing up the repairs.

A few hours later, the Decepticons were standing outside the entrance to the mines, waiting for their two human companions to finish their preparations. Cyrus and Aaron had agreed to fly with Lugnut and Blitzwing respectively, instead of their own vehicle.

“He has no way to track us and we are sturdier than your glider,” Megatron had told them. “If we have to confront Sumdac’s forces in the air, you will be safer flying within one of us.”

Penny stood by the entrance, arms crossed and tapping her foot, Miles standing by her side quivering anxiously. He still didn’t feel safe around the Decepticons without her and even with her present he had a hard time keeping it together.

“Why can’t I come?” Penny questioned, pouting. “Miles and I can fight too!”

“We needeth you here to protect the metal knights’ base, Penelope,” Aaron said, giving her a smile. “Someone haseth to protect it from Sumdac’s metal fiends!” I wasn’t entirely a lie. In an emergency, Penny would have the skill needed to use the base’s defenses to their full effect. And she’d be as far away from Sumdac as possible.

“Transform and rise up!” Megatron called.

The Decepticons transformed, and the humans entered their partners’ vehicle mode, while Blackarachnia used a thread hold onto Lugnut. They took off Penny waving at them from the ground until she was out of sight.

After a few minutes of flying, the Sumdac Tower came into view.

“I say we break right through!” Lugnut shouted, immediately ramping up his thrusters.

Blackarachnia yelped, digging her legs into the metal to hang on.

“Lugnut, wait!” Megatron called.

Before he could react, Lugnut crashed into what seemed to be an invisible wall and slammed down on the ground, almost flattening Blackarachnia, who managed to jump off his back barely before he hit the ground.

Lugnut’s cockpit opened and Cyrus stumbled out, falling to his knees and taking deep breaths. “That’s it, I’m flying with the red one next time,” he wheezed.

“What the spark was that?” Lugnut complained, transforming back into robot-mode and rubbing his helm.

Blitzwing, who had touched down behind him and transformed as well after letting Aaron out, walked over to the sizzling blockade and laid a servo on it, frowning.

“It appears to be a force field. And it looks like it is going around the whole tower.”

“Pardon us, dear knights we shouldeth have told thee,” Aaron said sheepishly. “The tyrant possesseth an automatic shield that activates whenever his tower cometh under attack.”

“Great,” Blackarachnia grumbled, ambling to the group and rubbing her posterior. “Because we didn’t have enough trouble already.”

“Worry not! We hath prepared for just this instance!” With an elegant movement of his arm, Archer pulled out a small, rectangular card from his tunic. “Our noble scout hath given us this to trick the fiend’s foul, dark magic! It shouldeth allow us to break a hole int his shield and enter with nary a scratch!”

“That’s awfully convenient,” Starscream remarked. “What’s the catch?”

“The catch is that it only works for maybe half an hour,” Cyrus replied, having mostly recovered from his nausea. “After that we’ll be trapped like rats, unless we can turn it off for good.”

“Then we should not waste time,” Megatron said. “We will look for your scout, collect him and evacuate immediately.”

Archer nodded, then walked towards the field, pressing the card against it. A small current of electricity sparked up from the area around it and in the next moment, a small hole began to expand from the card, growing bigger until it was about ten times the man’s size.

“Err, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that doesn’t look big enough for us,” Starscream pointed out.

Megatron frowned, kneeling down next to the opening. “It will have to do. Blackarachnia, you and the humans will enter first. The rest of us will transform into our vehicle modes and try to enter that way.”

“I think not,” a heavily accented voice said.

The group collectively jumped, before realizing it had come from a loudspeaker attached to the front of the building.

“Sumdac,” Cyrus snarled, clenching his fists.

“So this is the famous resistance I’ve heard so much about?” the voice said, sounding amused. “How disappointing. Though I would be lying if I said I’d ever had any interest in you. Humans, even insolent ones, are beneath my attention. Your companions, however, are another matter entirely. ‘Decepticons’. What a silly name for such an advanced species.”

The Decepticons stiffened. Blitzwing’s face shifted to Hothead who gave a menacing growl, Blackarachnia’s stingers twitched, Starscream readied his blasters and Lugnut’s optic narrowed.

“How do you know of us?” Megatron demanded, keeping a calm face, but reaching for his swords.

“Ah, let us just say I was ‘ahead’ of you this time,” Sumdac chuckled. “You will have ample time to figure it out - once I have you in my possession.”

“Thou wilst not lay a hand on the metal knights!” Archer shouted. “We shan’t allow it!”

“I thought so,” Sumdac said, voice taking on a disinterested tone. “Which is why I will have you disposed of first. And do not count on your little spy to save you. I have already send my drones to take car of him.”

With a crackle, the loudspeaker turned off, leaving the group to let Sumdac’s words sink in.

Archer turned to Cyrus, shaking slightly. “Cyrus, do you believeth-?”

Cyrus shook his head. “If the prof was dead, he would’ve lorded that over our heads. He said he send drones after him. That means he could still be alive. We’ve gotta get in there, now!”

With that he dashed through the hole in the shield, not waiting for any of them to follow. Blackarachnia groaned.

“What is it with my allies and running helm-first into danger?” With a bit of difficulty, she maneuvered her body through the opening.

Just as Archer was about to follow, the sound of screeching metal pulled everyone’s attention to another part of the tower. Another door had opened, admitting a swath of police drones to exit the building. The drones headed out of the force field and opened fire.

Blitzwing jumped forward, scooping Archer up in his servos and carrying him out of harms’ way.

Lugnut roared, bringing his explosive servo down on a cluster of drones. But he misjudged. The explosion destroyed the drones, but the recoil threw him backwards - right towards the hole. His body went half-way through, then stopped.

“This was not supposed to happen,” Lugnut snarled, trying and failing to pull himself out.

“Move your overgrown thrusters!” Hothead shouted, grabbing Lugnut’s arm and pulling. “You’re blocking our only way in!”

“What do you think I am trying to do here?” Lugnut snapped back.

“It’s no use, “Megatron shouted. “Blackarachnia, you will have to help Cyrus on your own.”

“Lucky me,” Blackarachnia murmured. She turned around to Cyrus. “You heard him, it’s just you and-”

The human wasn’t there anymore. When she looked up she could see the entrance door was open.

Blackarachnia ex-vented. “This just isn’t my solar cycle.”

* * *

Cyrus ran through the halls, doing his best to blend out the blaring alarms and not sure where exactly he was going, but also too angry to stop. Every now and again he’d rip open a door, find the room behind either completely deserted or filled with spare parts and slam it closed again. He finally screeched to a halt in a circular room, a huge elevator in the middle. In front of the elevator stood a sleek, white reception desk, with, Cyrus noted with annoyance, a robot behind it.

“Identify yourself,” the machine said in a monotone voice.

“Yeah, sure,” Cyrus growled, approaching the desk and cracking his knuckles. “Lemme just hand you my calling card.”

The robot gave a peep. “Voice scan does not match up. Intruder identified. Calling security.”

Cyrus froze. “Aw, slag.”

Suddenly a stream of a dark green acid hit the robot, immediately melting it down to a clump of deformed metal.

“Have a nice daayyyy...,” the robot slurred, before it’s voice box liquefied as well.

Cyrus jumped back, eyes wide and slowly turned his head into the direction the attack had come from. In front of the now open elevator door stood a human-shaped.. thing.

It was smaller than Cyrus (then again, most of his allies were) and seemed to consist of a slimy green fluid. It was wearing what remained of a modified lab coat with a ridiculously wide collar and a pair of goggles where Cyrus supposed it’s eyes were.

“I dunno what kind of sick Sumdac-goon you are,” he sneered, assuming a fighting stance. “But you picked the wrong day to mess with me, buddy.”

The thing took a step back, holding it’s palms up. “Cyrus, wait! It’s me!”

Cyrus eyes widened and he abandoned his stance. “Professor?”

Before either of them could say anything more, a white stream of web shot up from behind Cyrus, pinning the thing he now knew to be Professor Black to the wall.

“Do organics just have no survival instincts whatsoever?” Blackarachnia snapped at him, running into the room. “That thing would have slagged you, if I hadn’t found you in time! What were you thinking, running ahead?”

“Hey whoa, chill spider-lady,” Cyrus said, quickly positioning himself in front of Professor Black. “Sorry for ditching you, but this guy’s on our side! He’s the spy we told you about!”

Blackarachnia gave Professor Black a skeptical look. “That’s him? No offense, but are humans supposed to look like that?”

“Normally not, no,” Cyrus admitted, turning around with a frown. “What’s the story behind that, Prof?”

“It’s not something I’m proud of,” Prometheus sheepishly. “But I think we should focus on getting out of here first. If you would please tell the nice lady to cut me down, then - oh, wait, I suppose that’ll take care of itself.”

While he was speaking, the acid that made up his body had managed to eat itself through Blackrachnia’s string, allowing him to drop down to the floor again.

Balckarachnia whistled, impressed. “That’s some pretty strong stuff.”

“I could do without it,” Prometheus replied sourly, making his way over to the reception desk. “Cyrus, come over. I’ll need you to press the buttons for me. We have to deactivate that force field, if we want to make it out.”

“U-Uh, yeah! Coming!” Cyrus stumbled after the professor, awkwardly standing beside him on the other side of the desk. A multitude of buttons, levers and dataports greeted him when he glanced at the desk’s surface. Professor Black already seemed to be searching for something in particular, though how he could make out any sense of coherence in this overly complicated device was beyond Cyrus.

Eventually, Professor Black pointed at a specific lever. “This one.”

* * *

Outside, the rest of the Decepticons and Archer were still fighting off the drones.

“They just keep coming,” Starscream shouted, blasting a drone that had just attempted to shock him to smithereens.

“Let them!” Hothead snarled. “I nee to let off some steam!”

A yelp came from behind them.

“Either I am growing bigger, or this shield is growing stronger,” Lugnut grunted.

Megatron hastily put a servo to his helm. “Blackarachnia, whatever you are doing in there, stop it! You are strengthening the field!”

* * *

“It’s not working,” Blackarachnia told Cyrus. “Try something else!”

Prometheus tsked impatiently. “He must have changed the layout. One moment, I’ll have this figured out...” He leaned over the panel, eyes scanning the different levers, until they landed on a specific one, a little to the left of the on he’d told Cyrus to pull. “This one! I’m sure this time!”

* * *

A slight buzzing noise was the only warning Lugnut got before the force field holding him up flickered and disappeared, letting him drop to the floor.

“It’s open! We should move!” Blitzwing called.

“No! These drones keep on coming,” Megatron answered, shooting a couple of drones attempting to surround him. “If we retreat inside, they’ll block the exit. Lugnut! Go and help Blackarachnia and the humans! We will hold Sumdac’s forced off here and secure our escape route!”

Lugnut gave a curt nod, then stomped into the building.

* * *

“That should have done it,” Prometheus said, satisfied. “Now we should be able to-”

The rattle of metal joints interrupted him mid-sentence. A swath of security drones spilled out of the adjacent halls.

“Aw, slag,” Cyrus cursed, instinctively putting himself in front of the professor.

“Guess I didn’t interrupt the call fast enough,” Prometheus said, awkwardly putting his hands up. “I don’t think I can melt them all.”

Blackarachnia’s optics flipped between the drones and the panel. In a few seconds, she made a decision. “You won’t have to.”

The drones got into position. Blackarachnia jumped forward and planted her servos on the panel. Her upper arms sprouted devices reminiscent of magnets. She lifted her arms towards the drones and just as they started to fire, a barrier closed around her and the two humans.

“Fascinating!” Prometheus exclaimed, watching her with awe. “You duplicated that advanced technology in less than a second? Just by touching it?”

“It’s kind of my thing,” Blackarachnia replied. “Any idea how we get out of here?”

Before Prometheus could answer, loud thundering footsteps rang down the hall and in the next moment, Lugnut entered the room, clearly in a bad mood, smashing every unfortunate drone in his way.

“Well that takes care of that,” Cyrus remarked.

Balckarachnia lowered the shield and Lugnut came to a halt in front of them. When he noticed Prometheus, his optic narrowed. “What is _that_?”

“The spy,” Blackarachnia cut in, before Cyrus or Prometheus could answer. “No time to explain, I bet there’s more of those things-” she pointed at the smashed drones on the floor,”-already on the way.”

Lugnut nodded. The four quickly made their way through the hall and back outside. The other Decepticons moved out of the way at Blackarachnia’s urging and she erected a barrier similar to the one she’d used inside, protecting them from the drones’ gunfire. Now in a safer environment, Megatron, Lugnut, Starscream and Blitzwing transformed into their vehicle modes, with Cyrus and Archer entering their previous rides.

Prometheus hesitated. “I don’t think I’ll be able to board any of you in my current-”

He felt a light buzzing under his feet and yelped when he was lifted up in a bubble consisting of the same material as the force field.

“Already thought of that,” Blackarachnia called, steering the bubble on top of Lugnut and positioning herself beside it. “Can’t melt what you can’t touch!” She wasn’t looking forward to making the ride back in robot-mode, but in this case she’d just have to bear it. She knocked on Lugnut’s armor-plating. “Hurry up! I don’t know how long my download’s gonna last!”

The Decepticons took off, leaving the tower and the drones behind them.

* * *

Sumdac watched his foes slip from his grasp on the monitors, shaking with rage.

How? How could this be??? He’d had the advantage this time! Victory should have been his! The resistance should have been crushed then and there! And yet they had again managed to elude him!

Snarling, he wiped the documents from his desk. For a moment, he considered activating the canons on top of his tower to try and shoot them down. But they were already too far away and he didn’t want to waste ammunition. Besides... he was not completely beaten yet.

Sumdac smirked. He still had an ace up his sleeve. Slowly, he stood up from his chair, calling up a few cleaning bots, and made his way to his personal laboratory.

Optimus Prime was following him with his eyes as he entered the room. Sumdac tried not to let him see how much the head still unnerved him.

“The information I gave you turned out to be correct,” Optimus said. It wasn’t a question. “So? Do we have a deal?”

Sumdac didn’t answer immediately. He took his time, comfortably settling himself in his chair, before looking up at Optimus with a sinister smile on his face. “Yes. Yes we have.”


	6. Blast From The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Overlord Sumdac is preparing a new kind of battle-drone to take out the Resistance and with his new unholy alliance, the threat is getting greater. Meanwhile, Blitzwing tries to teach Lugnut to be more amicable.

“Aw, come on!” Penny pouted up at Lugnut, hands propped on her hips. Miles was cowering at his usual place behind her. He threw nervous glances up at the Decepticon. Unlike his human companion, he was well aware of Lugnut’s annoyance.

“I am busy, human,” Lugnut snapped. “Find someone else for your rituals.”

Penny threw her arms up in frustration. “Who? All of you are always busy talking to Aaron or Cyrus lately! It’s boring.”

Lugnut turned away from the platform he’d put his damaged arm on to give Penny a one-optic glare. “Hard as it may be to believe, we all have more important things to do than participate in meaningless activities for your enjoyment! If that is a problem to you, I suggest you find a way to make yourself actually useful and leave me be.”

Penny stared at him for a moment. Then her eyes started watering. She sniffled, turned on her heels and ran out of the room, Miles hot on her tail. She passed Blitzwing on her way out. The Triplechanger looked after her with a worried expression.

“Did something happen?” he asked.

Lugnut shrugged. “Organics. Always leaking over every little thing.”

Blitzwing frowned. “What did you say?”

“Evidently something she didn’t like,” Lugnut grumbled, turning back to his arm on the table. 

Blitzwing ex-vented and leaned against the door-frame, crossing his arms. “Lugnut, would it really put you off-line to be a bit more friendly?”

Lugnut huffed. 

“I am just saying, it might be hard to get the rest of the humans to like us if you keep being so hostile.”

“I do not need to be liked,” Lugnut snapped.”What use is bonding with them in any case? We’ll be leaving this planet eventually.”

“But we still don’t know when that’ll be,” Blitzwing retorted. “Megatron, Blackarachnia and Professor Black are still working to establish a way for us to communicate with New Kaon. We need what help we can get.”

Lugnut said nothing, though his movements grew a tad more aggressive. Blitzwing walked over, picked up the bigger mech’s arm, ignoring his protests and firmly put it back in Lugnut’s empty socket.

Lugnut stared at him for a bit, then moved the arm around. It stuck.

“..Fine. What would you have me do?”

Blitzwing smirked. His faceplate switched over to Hothead, who gave a bellowing laugh. “Oh, you will hate this next part!”

* * *

“I’m failing to see how this relates to my new body,” Optimus Prime said drily, his single intact optic narrowing.

Sumdac chuckled, tightening another screw on the gigantic, metal structure before him. “Oh, quite a lot my decapitated friend. What I am constructing here, is a new form of battle-bot. Once it’s finished, it will give us the edge we need to overpower the resistance and your metallic “friends” aiding them.” He took a few steps backwards to admire his work. Three gigantic metal bodies stood against one wall of his laboratory. 

Optimus narrowed his optics at the things. To him, these creatures looked laughably boorish. 

The one in the middle was the biggest, with a square body, ending in a long tail, two powerful hind legs and, as if to offset them, two very small arms with three claws on each one. It’s head was almost as big as it’s body with jaws the size of a scrap press.   
The one to the right was smaller, with more equal proportions and stood on all fours. It’s head was framed by a shield-like plate. It had two horns on it’s forehead and one were it’s nose should have been.  
The one to the left seemed tiny compared to it’s companions. It was barely two heads taller than Bumblebee, with two long winged arms and a narrow head that seemed like it had been pulled apart on both sides, forming a pointy beak and a crest. It stood upright on two spindly legs with sharp talons on it’s pedes.

“Stunned speechless, I see,” Sumdac said, grinning. “Not that I would fault you for that. These new models were made to resemble creatures from our earths’ Jurassic era. Roughly two hundred million years old.”

“That’s hardly impressive,” Optimus replied bluntly. “Cybertronians have existed for ten billion years.”

Sumdac’s face grew red and he took a deep breath. It was at times like these that the concept of just pulling the plugs connecting the head to his building’s systems grew ever more tantalizing. 

“In any case,” he continued through gritted teeth, “These dinosaurs, as we call them, especially the three I modeled these drones after, were apex predators and fighting machines. If properly motivated. Luckily, all the motivation my creations require, is the push of a button. And once they defeat and capture the Decepticons, I will have all the blueprints I need to construct you the body you so desire.”

With a self-assured smirk, Sumdac stepped up to a control panel positioned in front of the drones and pressed down a few buttons.

The drones’ eyes lit up red. They started to twitch, moving their limbs. Then the drone in the middle let loose a roar that echoed off the walls of the lab. Sumdac’s grin grew downright manic as he watched his creations come to life.

Then the drone on the left flapped it’s wings a few times and rose into the air. Sumdac’s grin vanished.

“Not in here you imbecile,” he shouted, waving his arms. “This room is nowhere near big enough to-”

The drone, in it’s eagerness, shot up and crashed right into the ceiling. It’s head got stuck in the countless cables in the air. It flapped, screeching furiously. Finally, it’s thin neck snapped under the unevenly distributed weight. The screeches subsided. It’s body crashed into the drone in the middle, taking one of it’s small arms off. The middle drone roared again, stumbling to the side.

It stumbled over the right-most drone and buried it beneath itself, completely crushing it’s body in a mess of bent metal and sparks. Smoke filled the laboratory. Right on cue, the sprinklers set in, immediately extinguishing the small flames coming from the mangled bodies.

Sumdac quietly stood there and watched the mess, fists clenched so tightly they shook.

“Evidently there was a reason they died out so soon,” he heard Optimus snark behind him.

* * *

“Alright,” Blitzwing announced, hands propped up on his hips. “Before you start being friendlier to humans, I believe we should practice with you being more friendly to fellow Cybertronians!”

“I’d just like to remind everyone that I have things to do,” Blackarachnia spoke up, arms crossed and a scowl on her faceplate. 

She, Blitzwing and Lugnut were standing in one of the mine’s empty tunnels. Blackarachnia and Lugnut were standing across from each other, with Blitzwing positioned in the middle.

Lugnut’s optic narrowed and he opened his intake, but Blitzwing quickly stepped in front of him. “Which is why Lugnut is very grateful you took the time to help us anyway.” He elbowed the bigger mech slightly. “Right?”

Lugnut rolled his optic, but relented. “Yes, my gratitude knows no bounds.”

“Well that didn’t sound very nice,” Blackarachnia said, giving a mocking pout.

Lugnut’s optic narrowed again, but Blitzwing shot him a warning look and he ex-vented, shoulders drooping. “Thank you, I suppose.”

Blackarachnia shrugged. “Eh, it’s a start.”

“Alright, let us begin,” Blitzwing said quickly, clapping his hands together. “We’ll start with something simple. Lugnut, imagine Blackarachnia had done something to irritate you. Something like, taking the last energon cube. What would you do?”

Lugnut gave a long vent. “Blackarachnia, I wanted to take that cube. That was quite rude of you.”

“Didn’t see your name one it, big guy,” Blackarachnia smirked.

Lugnut’s optic narrowed. “Why you-!”

“Lugnut,” Blitzwing said warningly. 

“I... suppose there is some truth to that,” Lugnut said through gritted denta. “Still, I really wanted that cube. You know I am a flight frame. I need more energon than you.”

Blackarachnia put a hand to her chin as if in thought. “Hmm, you’ve got a point there.” She let her servo drop to the side and grinned. “But then again, you could stand to lose a few megatons. Maybe you would actually hit something, if you were lighter.”

Lugnut lunged at her before Blitzwing could stop him. Blackarachnia jumped out of the way with ease, grin never leaving her faceplate. Lugnut crashed against the wall. The impact knocked several rock loose. The three of them managed to vacate the tunnel just in time before it came down.

They were still busy padding off dust from their frames and peeling smaller rocks out of their systems when Megatron, Starscream and Professor Black came running around the corner, the two Decepticons with their weapons raised and the mutant with one acid-dripping arm out of the sleeve of the special suit he’d taken to wearing.

“We heard an explosion! Is everything alright?” Megatron asked.

“Yeah, we’re good. That was just Lugnut trying to be nice,” Blackarachnia answered drily, flicking a pebble off her shoulder plate.

* * *

Optimus let his optic wander over the destroyed bodies of the drones, deep in thought. For all his taunting, he had to admit the drones were commendable for what they were. Though he wouldn’t be caught off-line admitting that to Sumdac.

The human had stomped out in a huff after his inventions had chosen to destroy each other instead of their shared enemies. Which had given Optimus ample time to study what remained of their body and circuitry. Like everything else on this planet, they were far too primitive as constructions to serve as potential new bodies for him.

But they were formidable enough to serve as his arms, metaphorically speaking. All they needed was a steady servo to guide them. Also metaphorically speaking, given his current situation.

Optimus let parts of his consciousness seep into the laboratories’ computers and machinery. It didn’t take long to reassemble the bodies and implant a signal beacon. They would be at his beck and call at a thought now.

When Sumdac re-entered the room, he found his drones fully repaired and operational. 

“Spare me the thanks,” Optimus said, feeling a smug satisfaction at the sight of Sumdac’s disbelieving expression. “I suggest you have these things brought to the city. I’m sure our heroic friends would just love to meet them.”

* * *

Blitzwing looked out over the water from the spot on the beach he was standing on. He had to admit, the way this planet’s sun reflected off the gleaming surface made for a very calming sight. Almost peaceful. Neither the Cybertronian colony he had been forged on nor New Kaon had a sun as bright as earth’s. 

The sound of Lugnut barrelling through through the thick foliage behind him tore him out of his thoughts.

“Oh don’t complain,” Blitzwing said, as Lugnut opened his intake. “I told you to land on the beach. This island will be the ideal place to train you. No humans to watch us and nothing else you could break or cause the collapse of.”

“I suppose,” Lugnut huffed, bending a small tree out of the way.

“Since practicing doesn’t seem to agree with you, I guess we’ll just.. talk about this.” Blitzwing scratched the back of his helmet nervously. He had to admit, this hadn’t been going how he’d planned it out to. “Let’s star with, um... why do you feel you have to be so harsh to the humans?”

“I am not being harsh, I am being straight-forward,” Lugnut said, crossing his arms. “Would you want me to tell them sweet lies and deceive them, like an Autobot?”

“No, of course not! But Lugnut, there is a middle ground between lying and being polite.” Blitzwing ex-vented. “Humans have feelings and thoughts just like we do. And perhaps you should consider that the next time you speak to them. A little empathy can go a long way.”

Lugnut went quiet for a short time. His optic expanded a little. “Blitzwing-”

“Lugnut, Blitzwing, come in!” Both Decepticons flinched slightly at the sound of Megatrons voice in their comms. They both reached up to their aduials.

“Where are you?” Megatron asked.

“At an island not far from the city,” Blitzwing responded.

“What? What for?”

“That is.. a bit hard to explain,” Blitzwing said, fiddling with his insignia and hoping the embarrassment didn’t seep into his vocalizer. He had completely neglected to tell anyone but Blackarachnia about his and Lugnut’s little trip.

“In any case, we need you back here and fast! It seems Sumdac’s machines are attacking the city!”

“Understood,” Blitzwing replied. “We’ll be there immediately.”

Him and Lugnut nodded to each other, then transformed and took off.

* * *

Downtown was chaos. Civilians were running through the streets in a panic, screaming and crying. Three humongous drones were rampaging through the streets, overturning vehicles and trampling everything in their way. 

The drone who resembled a Tyrannousaurus, turned it’s head back and forth, as if looking for something, even sniffing the air a few times. It completely ignored the panicked young woman trying to dodge it’s claws. Before it could squash her, a laser-blast collided with it’s chest throwing it back.

Megatron lowered his arm cannon and turned to Blitzwing and Lugnut, who had just touched down a few feet away, already turned back into robot-mode.

“Blitzwing, Lugnut, evacuate the humans! The rest, help me contain these drones!”

The other Decepticons nodded. Blitzwing and Lugnut split up, each leading a group of humans away from the fight. Lugnut suppressed an annoyed growl. It was like these organics didn’t want to be saved! Every few steps they would stop to turn back and gape at the fight. Some managed to stumble over their own feet so often, Lugnut wondered if they perhaps hadn’t been assembled right at forging.

“Will you _move_ , humans?” he finally snapped, when one of them once again threw a hasty look over their shoulder instead of running. They stared at him, eyes big and fearful. Lugnut flinched a little, remembering Blitzwing’s words.

“Now look,...The situation might be less than ideal, but, um...” He was no good at this. And now what little movement he had managed to bring into this group seemed to have stopped entirely.

He heard a noise behind him and extended his right arm just in time to catch a van that had been sent flying by the fight.

“Lugnut, what are you doing?” he heard Megatron shout behind him. “Get those humans away from here!”

“Do you think I haven’t tried?” Lugnut snapped back, turning around with a narrowed optic. 

His anger lowered his spacial awareness. The servo currently clutching the damaged van collided with the wall of a nearby building. A part of the wall broke in, with a couple pf brick raining down on the streets and the still terrified humans. The sight of several heavy objects seemed to kick them into gear at least.

The humans started screaming in fear again and ran into the alleyways and side-streets. Lugnut stared after them, feeling somewhat guilty. He hadn’t meant to frighten them or put them in danger. At the very least they weren’t in harms way anymore. He turned to go back to the fight.

Megatron was busy engaging the drone with the enormous jaw, holding it back with his swords. Blackarachnia and Blitzwing were trying to subdue the other two, together with the humans. Starscream was currently chasing the sole flying drone through the air, trying to shoot it down with his pulse canons. being a seeker, Starscream was a fast flyer, but the drone was small and very agile, dodging his shots at every turn.

When the drone bearing three horns on it’s head tried to snap it’s jaws around Blitzwing’s servo, Lugnut punted it in the stomach, sending it flying into it’s companion and away from the Decepticons and the humans.

“What are those things?” Blackarachnia asked, looking down on Cyrus and Amicable Archer. “I thought you said this planet didn’t have any Cybertronian life-forms except for us.”

“It does not,” Archer responded, setting in an explosive arrow. “‘Tis another ploy of Overlord Sumdac! He built these vile beasts in the image of animals long perished.”

“Just without the skin,” Cyrus shrugged. “We call ‘em dinosaurs.”

“And what weaknesses do these ‘dinosaurs’ have?” Megatron asked, readying his sword at the sight of the two drones slowly picking themselves back up.

“Err, I dunno. They died out, like, billions of years ago,” Cyrus replied, assuming a battle-ready stance.

“Then we shouldeth repeat that process,” Archer grinned, letting his arrow loose. 

The explosive hit the three-horn in the head, but did little but make it stumble. Starscream touched down beside the group, frowning. 

“I hate to admit it, but this thing is too small for me to hit. You’d think fighting Autobots for stellar cycles would have prepared me for that.”

“And those other two seem particularly stubborn, for all that they have no combat skills, “ Blitzwing added, rubbing a new dent on his side. “We should-”

The tyrannosaurus charged without warning, aiming right for Megatron. Megatron pulled his sword up just in time to block the drones jaws. The drone let out a furious roar, before clamping down on the blade, tearing it out of it’s owner grip and tossing it across the street. Before Megatron could react, the drone buried it’s jaw into his now weaponless servo, biting hard enough to make the plating crack and draw energon.

“Get away from him!” Starscream shouted. A bright light flashed from his eyes and the next second, his intake shifted. A sound-projector-like device assembled itself inside of it and shot a mixture of a strong acoustic wave and proton blast right at the drone.

The drone screamed as the blast hit it, letting go of Megatron. The blast threw it backwards, right into the three-horned drone who had just started to get up again.

Starscream’s intake transformed back to normal. The Decepticons and humans stared at him in shock. Starscream himself seemed just as shaken. He brought a hand up to his now regular intake, as if to make sure it was still there.

“Wow. Guess I know why they call you Star _scream_ now,” Cyrus joked, crossing his arms.

“Starscream” Blitzwing said, “I’ve known you for stellar cycles and this is the first time I’ve seen you use this power. How did you do that?”

“I..I don’t know,” Starscream admitted. “I suppose I was just really angry and then... this. But, that never happened when I fought before!”

“In any case, it is a useful power to have,” Megatron said, laying a hand on Starscream’s shoulder-plate and giving him a smile. “I would have been short of a servo if not for you.”

“Ha, yes,” Starscream chuckled, face-plate flushing a little. “Though we were pretty lucky I made the thing let go before blasting it into a wall.”

Megatron looked thoughtful for a moment. “Do you think you could do it again? At will?”

Starscream hesitated for a second. “I think so.”

Megatron smirked. “Then I believe we just found a way to deal with these ‘dinosaurs’.” He turned to the others. “Round up the drones in one place. Make them as easy a target as possible. Starscream, do you think you could do the same with the flyer?”

Starscream grinned. “I said I can’t hit it. I didn’t say I couldn’t scare it.”

With that, the Decepticons and the humans took off. 

Lugnut lowered his arm to allow Blckarachnia to download. When she was finished, the two of them with additional help from Cyrus, surrounded the three-horned drone. It lashed out for Cyrus, only to be kicked aside by Blackarachnia. When it tried to lunge at her, Lugnut and Cyrus tackled it towards the middle of the street.

The drones with the large jaws tried it’s luck with Blitzwing, only to slip on a pool of ice suddenly appearing under it’s feet. It screeched and dug it’s claws in, trying to anchor itself. A blast of energy hit it in the side and propelled it towards the same spot the three-horned drone was currently busy fighting off Blackarachnia, Lugnut and Cyrus.

The flying drone was back to dodging Starscream’s proton-blasts, though it’s movements were a fair deal more frantic now. When a shot grazed it’s right wing, it let out an ear-shattering screech and dropped down onto it’s two companions.

“They’re all together! Now, Starscream!” Megatron shouted.

Starscream opened his intake. There was no light this time, but the sonic canon appeared anyway, firing a blat that seemed even stronger, now that it’s owner knew what he was doing.

The drones screeched, trying to cover their non-existent ears. Sparks jumped over their frames and they collapsed on top of each other, motionless.

“Sumdac’s really upping his game,” Cyrus commented, walking over to the drones to get a closer look. “That’s the first time he tried Dinobots.”

Blackarachnia raised an eye-ridge. “‘Dinobots’?”

Cyrus blushed a little. “We gotta call ‘em _something_ , don’t we?”

“In any case,” Megatron said, re-sheathing his swords. “We should retreat back to the mines fro now. These things don’t pose a threat anymore.”

“Shouldeth we not take them with us?” Archer asked. “They seemeth to resemble your kind a great deal.”

“Not exactly,” Blitzwing said, picking up his human friend. “They have a semblance of a spark in them, but... they don’t have free will like we do.” He hesitated for a second. “I think.”

“Decepticons, transform and rise up!” Megatron commanded.

The group transformed into vehicle mode and took off towards the woods. Blitzwing couldn’t help but throw a glance back at the seemingly lifeless bodies of the Dinobots before following.

* * *

Optimus scowled at the pathetic scorching husks that had once been his attack drones. When the one wit the large jaw had sunk it’s teeth into Megatron he had almost been able to taste victory. But then came that annoying second-in.command and his sonic pulse.

Through their link, Optmius had felt it when it hit the drones. It had been... unusual. There was something else behind the sonic waves, an energy comparable to a spark. But as his connection with the drones had been severed shortly after, he hadn’t been able to analyze it further.

Sumdac had raged and huffed and thrown tools around and in the end he had retreated to his private quarters, not even bothering to look at the re-captured drones. For once, Optmius couldn’t fault him for his behavior. If he’d had a body, he would have done the same.

The drones had been the closest he’d come to being mobile again in solar cycles. Now they wouldn’t even twitch at his signal.

“If even the greatest mind of this planet can only produce you,” he told their still bodies, “Then my chances of ever getting my body back are grim. Locked in this lab-”

“’Grimlock’? I do say, ‘Grimlock’... It’s quite a nice name.”

Optimus’ optic widened. The drone with the large jaw had talked. And now it moved. Slowly, carefully, like a proto-form making it’s first steps, the drone pushed itself back onto it’s legs and turned it’s head from side to side, as if seeing the room for the first time. It’s two companions followed suit. 

“Looks like the Decepticons didn’t destroy you after all,” Optimus said slowly. “So what _did_ they do?” His optic lit up for a split-second, then dimmed again. “You don’t respond to my Cybertronian commands anymore either. But you still function. As if you had sparks.”

The big-jawed drone, tilted it’s head from side to side. “Yes, that’ll do nicely. I am Grimlock,” it muttered, as if it hadn’t heard.

Optimus fought down a surge of annoyance at the thing ignoring him. “Well, Grimlock, my name is Optimus Prime. And I am your leader.”

Grimlock turned to look at Optmius, his own, small, blue optics narrowing just the slightest bit. “Beg your pardon my good Sir, but I am quite certain that I, Grimlock, am the leader of our trio. Though I admit I do not know much else...”

“Obey me!” Optimus snapped, optic lighting up again.

To his anger, the drones once again did not respond. But one of the many screens on the wall switched on, rattling off a documentary.

“-and so the remnants of the dinosaurs, known as fossils, serve as fuel for today’s cars, trucks and air transports. Furthermore-”

“Not you!” Optimus groaned. 

He prepared to retract from the system to shut the voice down. But then he noticed the drones. All of them seemed focused on the screen now. Grimlock’s expression, what little of it could be read, seemed apprehensive now, almost disturbed.

“How barbaric!” he exclaimed, the other two drones squawking in agreement. “So these... ‘cars’, ‘trucks’ and ‘air transports’ consume our kind?”

If Optimus still had an intake, he would have grinned. “They do! Airs transports especially consume a lot of fuel. They feed off your fossils and at the rate they’re currently going, you’ll be extinct in no time. Your only chance of surviving is to destroy them.”

Grimlock’s optics narrowed. “It would appear so.”

“And do you want to know what’s worse than air transports?” Optimus asked amiably. “Air transports that transform into robots!”

He pulled up the security camera feed, showing the Decepticons in battle. The Dinobots seemed to believe him.

“It makes you angry, doesn’t it?” Optimus asked. “Use that anger. Let it out!”

Grimlock and the other two drones roared and opened their jaws. Three streams of fire surged through the air, consuming the screen on the wall until their was nothing left but melted metal.

“My word!” Grimlock said, examining the said remains of the monitor. “Were we always capable of such destruction?”

“Yes,” Optimus lied. “I built you like this. And if you manage to destroy the air transport robots, I’ll built and entire army of drones just like you. What do you say to that?”

Grimlock drew himself up to full height, snorting out a small fire ball. “I say, to battle, fellow Dinobots!”

* * *

The gate to the Terrordome opened. A procession of huge vehicles exited the building, driving towards downtown. The few civilians that had come back to garner what was left of their belongings saw the ironclad trucks and quickly retreated. 

The trucks stopped side by side in the middle of the streets. The police drones that had accompanied them stood aside. The trucks transporters opened. 

The Dinobots stepped outside, looking around curiously, as if they hadn’t been there only hours ago. Captain Fanzone exited one of the driver’s cab and looked up at his cargo with a wide grin.

“Well fellas,” he said. “Knock yourselves out! Just give us a call once your done!”

He re-entered the vehicle and gave the driver the sign to drive off. As the trucks rolled back towards the Terrordome, Fanzone heard a roar behind him. When he turned, he saw the Dinobot he had been told was named Grimlock pick up one of the parked cars and sever it in half with a single bite. 

Fanzone chuckled as he settled, shaking his head. “This is why I love machines.”

* * *

“Don’t these things ever learn?” Lugnut asked, irritated, as the Decepticons once again made their way through the sky and towards downtown. 

Below them the Dinobots were on a rampage, tearing up streets and throwing cars around. 

“No longer shall we, the Dinobots, be food!” screamed the one with the large jaws.

“Apparently they learned how to talk,” Blitzwing said nervously.

In that moment, the flying drone opened it’s beak and released a stream f fire into a nearby car underneath it.

“As well as a few other tricks,” Megatron commented.

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” Cyrus spoke up from withing Lugnut’s cockpit. “Let’s give ‘em the old sonic shout and send ‘em back to the stone age!”

“Wait!” Lugnut called. “Perhaps we should lure them away from this area first. I’ve seen a few humans who have not yet evacuated when we flew over these buildings.”

“That... is a very good idea, Lugnut,” Megatron answered, sounding surprised.

Lugnut huffed, hoping his vocalizer wouldn’t give away his embarrassment. “I simply think the humans would be very grateful if their housing units stayed intact this time. And it will be easier for us to fight without them getting in the way.”

“Aww, no worries big guy,” Blackarachnia cooed mockingly from her sitting spot on Blitzwing. “We won’t get any crazy ideas about you having a spark after all.”

With that Megatron swooped down close to the ground Starscream and Lugnut following after him. Each of them rammed into one of the Dinobots, hard enough to knock them over, but not hard enough to do damage.

All three of the Dinobots let out infuriated roars.

“You wish for a fight?” Grimlock growled. “You shall have it!”

The Dinobots spit fire at their attackers, but the Decepticons had already taken to the air again, easily avoiding their attacks. Letting loose irritated snarls, the Dinobots followed suit. The Decepticons led them well outside of town, onto the road.

There, they touched down to the ground and transformed back into robot-mode, weapons out and at the ready.

The Dinobots stopped dead in their tracks, seemingly dumbfounded by this chain of events. Their optics wandered over their opponents, then came to a halt at Blackarachnia.

“Um, wereth they not going to attack?” Archer whispered to Blitzwing, confused.

“They were supposed to,” Blitzwing said.

“And what are they staring at _me_ for?” Blackarachnia asked indignantly. “It’s not like I’m the only organic thing on this planet!”

The Dinobot in the middle perked up at her voice, then shook his head. “Ah, you must forgive me, fair spider-lady. I, Grimlock, seem to have been awestruck by your beauty.”

Blackarachnia blinked. “What?”

The three-horned Dinobot and it’s flying companion made a sound that sounded a lot like gurgling and pressed themselves on the ground. 

“But how can this be?” Grimlock asked, seemingly talking more to himself than anyone else. “How can such a lovely creature be accompanying the vile flying transport robots who consume our kind?”

“Er, I’m confused,” Cyrus admitted, scratching his bald head. “Are we gonna fight or what?”

“We might not have to,” Megatron said grimly. he turned to Starscream. Starscream, do you think you could hit all of them at once with that new power of yours?”

“Starscream blinked. “I... yes, I think so but...will that be necessary? They’re fairly peaceful now.”

Megatron shook his head. “We don’t know if it will stay that way. We need to at least put them out of commission for now.”

Starscream hesitated, the nodded. He took a step forward. His intake transformed into the sonic gun. The blast hit the Dinobots with full force. With a pained screech, they stumbled backwards, then collapsed.

“Blitzwing, freeze them,” Megatron called.

Blitzwing lowered his ice cannons and encased the Dinobots in a wide block, big enough to take up most of the road.

“Well that was easier than I thought,” Cyrus commented. He looked up at the frozen Dinobots, frowning. “What do we do with ‘em now?”

“We destroy them,” Megatron said curtly.

Blitzwing flinched and turned towards his leader, optics wide. “Wait, what?”

“Blitzwing, you’ve seen what they can do. What they did. They are dangerous. We can’t allow Sumdac to find and repurpose them again,” Megatron said gravely.

“But...but,” Blitzwing stuttered. “Isn’t that a little extreme? You heard them, someone clearly told them we were some sort of threat! And besides that...” He looked at the Dinobts, optic thoughtful. “I felt like something was different about them this time. They seemed like they were aware. Like... like they had sparks. What if they’re more than simple attack drones?”

Megatron shook his head. “These are far too many ‘what ifs’ than we can afford right now. I would be lying if I said it didn’t irk me a little bit, but it has to be done.”

“I agree,” Lugnut spoke up, stepping forward. “I propose me, Blitzwing and Blackarachnia stay behind to take care of matters. You and Starscream should fly Cyrus and Archer back to our base in the meantime. Just to be safe.”

Megatron gave him a surprised look, then quickly got ahold of himself and nodded. “Thank you, Lugnut. I’ll believe we’ll do just that. Come along, Starscream.”

Starscream nodded, throwing a suspicious glance at Lugnut as he did so. Lugnut didn’t blink. Starscream shrugged, transformed and let Archer enter, before following Megatron, who had done the same with Cyrus, into the air.

Blackarachnia, Blitzwing and Lugnut watched them fly away.

“Now,” Lugnut said, when the two of them were out of sight. “I believe we have work to do.”

* * *

“Gotta say, big guy,” Blackarachnia commented, looking down the edge of the giant crater into the lush, green valley before her. “I really wasn’t expecting that.”

Donw below her, the Dinobots were roaming around through the grass, sniffing here and ther and letting out a joyful squawk or screech now and again.

“Me neither,” Blitzwing admitted, smiling slightly. “I was sure you would actually destroy the Dinobots, when you proposed it to Megatron.” he turned to look at Lugnut, who was watching the Dinobots as well, expression unreadable. “May I ask what made you change your mind?”

Lugnut huffed, crossing his servos. “I have seen Cybertronians like the Dinobots during the war. Young, naive, still barely protoformed. Easy to manipulate in their youthful zeal. It was obvious they had no idea what it was they were getting into when they fought us.” He lowered his head a little. “Had we destroyed them, Sumdac would have found their remains and rebuilt them eventually. And then they truly would have had a reason to despise and fight us. What good will it do us to make more enemies on this planet than we already have? This island is remote enough to be a good hiding place from Sumdac. Here, they’ll be able to carve their own path, their own identity. Far away from any wars.” He looked up again. “A respected fellow Decepticon once told me ‘A little empathy can go a long way.’ I suppose I decided to heed that advice today.”

Blitzwing’s smile widened a little.

“Welp,” Blackarachnia said, stretching. “Since that’s all wrapped up for now, we should get going. It’s been a long day and I have a comfortable berth back at the mine with my name on it.”

“And I need to find a certain small organic,” Lugnut said quietly. “Whom I owe an apology.”

Lugnut and Blitzwing transformed, Blackarachnia jumped onto Lugnut’s wings and the three of them departed.

Back in the valley, the Dinobots were still wandering around. Grimlock looked around.

“I, Grimlock, must say I quite like this ‘nature’.” 

He took another step forward. The humming of machinery inside of him intensified. His claws retracted. His massive jaw pulled in and onto his chest. His small, scrawny arm stumps were pulled into his body to be replaced by two mechanical arms. A helm with a red visor and a riffled intake popped out where his jaw had been pulled down from a second ago.

“But I must say. I like this even more,” Grimlock said, grinning.

He pulled a sword out from his back and watched as it engulfed itself in flames.


	7. Thrill of the Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackarachnia is forced to re-live a traumatic event from her past when Megatron is kidnapped by a mysterious mech named Lockdown.

“Can you believe the depravity of some humans? This so.. primitive and vulgar! I think I’m going to regurgitate just from looking at it.” Blackarachnia looked down on the crate in front of her with barely veiled disgust.

Megatron raised an eye-ridge beside her putting down an identical container. “It is merely a box of spare parts, Blackarachnia.”

Blackarachnia huffed. “You mean the Resistance actually uses those for their machines? That’s even worse!”

The metal parts in the box glinted innocently in the moonlight shining down on the old warehouse. Following a tip from the Resistance, the Decepticons had searched the place out in order to provide their human allies with some much needed materials. Not all of it could be taken of course, but the Decepticons had resolved to transport as many of them as possible.

“Well, they don’t have much of a choice now, do they?” Blitzwing chuckled, walking over to lay a hand on Blackarachnia’s shoulder. “Try not to think too much about it. Just enjoy the temporary silence.”

Megatron nodded. “Blitzwing is right. I know things have been stressful lately and I have been demanding a lot from you and Starscream in particular. A simple errand like this might be the closes we will come to resting for a while.”

Blackarachnia ex-vented, crossing her servos. “Fine. I’ll try. It’s just...” Her bent stingers twitched on her back, eliciting a couple of small sparks. “I’ve been having a bad feeling ever since we got here. My stingers are aching worse than usual. Normally, that means trouble.”

Megatron looked at her, optics growing sad. “We... have never spoken about that mission since, have we? It must still trouble you.”

Blackarachnia stiffened. “It doesn’t matter, because I _still_ don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped, glaring up at Megatron.

“W-Well, you don’t need to,” Blitzwing said quickly, laying a calming servo on the smaller femme’s shoulder-plate. “Like I’ve been saying, perhaps we should just enjoy the quit night.”

Just then, the sound of an engine tor through the air. At almost the same time, a red light flared up, across the field. The Decepticons whirled around. The source turned out to be a black and dark-blue muscle car, flashing it’s headlights right at them.

“So much for silence,” Blackarachnia remarked, clenching her hands into fists.

Megatron raised a hand to placate her. “Easy now. It might well just be a human who lost their way.”

“I don’t think so,” Blitzwing said nervously, optics never leaving the muscle car. “Aaron told me this district has been vacated for solar cycles.”

Megatron frowned. “Perhaps we should-”

Before he could finish, the car jerked forward. It raced at the three Decepticons, on a clear collision course. They jumped aside, the car narrowly missing them. The muscle car didn’t stop, instead driving onto the road and towards the city.

“Do you think it’s one of Sumdac’s?” Blitzwing asked, staring after it with wide optics.

Megatron’s optics narrowed. “If it is, we cannot risk it getting away. Both of you, transform and rise up!”

Blackarachnia, Blitzwing and Megatron transformed. Megatron informed Starscream and Lugnut about what happend over the comlink, while Blackarachnia jumped onto Blitzwing’s vehicle mode, digging her pincers in to not fall off. The followed the car from the air as it sped through the streets, it’s driver evidently not caring whether or not the citizens were fast enough to dive out of their way.

A human man and woman attemtped to cross the street, as the car turned around the corner, making no effort to slow down. Megatron quickly transformed into robot-mode. He landed on a nearby rood, cut the billboard off with one of his swords, then jumped down onto the street with the board on his back, creating a makeshift-ramp.

The muscle car neither slowed nor stopped. It raced up the ramp and jumped right over the terrified humans, landing and driving on as if nothing happened.

“Perhaps you should look both ways before crossing the street next time,” Megatron joked to the humans, setting aside the board.

The humans nodded hastily, then quickly made their way to the sidewalk.

A few streets away, Blackarachnia and Blitzwing scanned the ground for the muscle car. Blackarachnia jumped off of Blitzwing’s back, transforming into he robot-mode and planted herself firmly in the car’s way. The car didn’t stop. It drove at her, engine’s howling.

Blackarachnia stiffened. The sound was familiar, somehow. It seemed to drown out everything else around them. She thought she heard someone call her name, but by that point she wasn’t in the present anymore.

* * *

_Blackarachnia made her way through the dark alleys of Central City as silently as she could manage, optical sensors always vigilant. Although she had studied the citiy’s map extensively and so far the infiltration had been going smoothly, her pessimistic nature prevented her from cooling it a little just yet. After all, she had rather painful past experiences with running out of luck at the worst time possible. For what had to be the hundredth time this solar cycle she silently cursed Megatron for having chosen her for this particular mission._

_“You have been on Cybertron more recently than all of us,” he had said, almost apologetic. “And your organic half makes it impossible for them to pick up your energy signature. I know of no other bot I could entrust this mission to. Please give it some thought.”_

_In the end she had caved, with grumbling and more than a few words that some would call unbecoming of a femme. After all, Megatron rarely asked a fellow Decepticon to put themselves in danger if he wasn’t absolutely sure they could handle it. Or if he didn’t have a choice. With this, it was a mix of both. Blackarachnia had to admit, she had already been half convinced to go when he had told her it was an extraction mission._

_One of their spies, who had been penetrating the Autobot Intelligence Office for some time now, was said to have been compromised. He’d apparently run into trouble trying to escape the Elite Guard and was now stranded somewhere around the area she was currently sneaking through. Hearing this story, something in her spark just...reacted. Blackarachnia knew, probably better than anyone else, what it was like to be alone on a hostile planet, with seemingly no one coming to your aid. Merely remembering the feeling of despair and fear made her flinch._

_But she had been found eventually. And so would their spy._

_A re-assessment of the area’s map on her wrist-monitor told her she was getting close to the rendezvous point. Keeping her optical sensors open for any hints of a trap, she stepped out of another alley and onto a deserted cross-road between four large structures. If their intel was correct, the area was largely deserted, so there was no risk of a random Cybertronian citizen suddenly sticking their helm out of a window and surprising her or her target. Speaking of…_

_There was no sign of another bot here. Had she come to the wrong place? Just as she thought about risking a scan of the perimeters, she heard clunky, uneasy steps coming from her right. She whirled around, stingers at the ready. Across from her stood an Autobot, about two times shorter than her, stocky in build, with a strange, blue ornament on his helmet right above his piercing red optical sensors, leaning heavily on the wall to his right._

_Blackarchnia was about to jump him and give him a good taste of her narcotic venom, when he raised a hand._

_“Wait! I’m the one...you are supposed to meet.”_

_His voice sounded exhausted, like he was in great pain. Blackarchnia halted in her movements, giving him a skeptical look. “You’ll excuse me if I find that hard to believe.”_

_The Autobot chuckled sheepishly. “I am deeply sorry for my appearance. Normally I would change and show you my real form but you see...I’ve had a few altercations on my way here.” He stepped out a bit further into the light. Blackarachnia flinched._

_His right leg had been ripped off from the knee up, leaving nothing but a couple of sparking cables. That was enough to dispel most of her leftover doubt. She highly doubted any Autobot would go so far as to dismember themselves on that level just to fool a potential infiltrator. Letting some of the tension go out from her body, she made her way over to the spy, supporting him on his free shoulder and getting a closer look at his leg. The cables shocked her when she attempted to examine them manually, making both of them hiss in pain._

_“Well, that’s gonna be a real fixer-upper later on,” she remarked with grim humor._

_The spy-bot groaned, sinking into her shoulder a bit. She nudged him lightly._

_“Hey, stay with me! You can take all the stasis naps you like later, but right now I need you to stay online. What’s your name?”_

_The question seemed to at least partially pull him out of his pain induced daze. “They… gave me the name Longarm… when I came into their ranks…but…my real name is…Shockwave...Ma’am.”_

_That got a smile out of her. “Don’t give me that ‘ma’am’ slag. We’re both Decepticons, aren’t we? Call me Blackarachnia.”_

_“Y-yes, ma’am – yes, Blackarachnia,” Shockwave quickly corrected himself returning her smile. She couldn’t help but notice it looked a little weird on that Autobot face-plate of his, like he wasn’t used to making expressions. Nevertheless, it was nice to see he was comfortable with her presence. She had expected at least some comments about her organic parts, but she supposed his situation gave him little room to complain._

_“Good. Now that that’s out of the way, I need you to listen Shockwave. You see those two antennae on my back?” He nodded. “They’re stingers that release a strong, narcotic venom when applied. I’m going to use them on you, so I can patch up your leg.”_

_“N-no!” Shockwave exclaimed, optics wide with fear. He tried to straighten himself in order to look at her, which proved to be both difficult and painful with his damaged servo. “I carry valuable…access codes...in my processor. They are too important...to be lost!”_

_Blackarachnia sighed, adjusting her position so he wouldn’t fall over. “Cool your crankcase, will you? It’s just a small dose. I’d need to administer ten times that much to damage your memory core.”_

_That seemed to calm him down a bit. After thinking it over a little, he gave her a nod. Blackarachnia had to suppress a relieved vent. Repairing him while he was still fully online would have been extremely unpleasant for them both._

_She shifted her arms so she was now holding him around his shoulders. “This will sting a little,” she warned him, gently touching her stingers to the spots between his shoulder plates and his helmet. When she released her venom he flinched a little, but then slowly went numb in her arms, his optical sensors slowly offlining themselves._

_She lowered him to the ground and leaned him against the opposite wall, pulling out the tools she needed to work on his leg. It took quite a bit of time, since she didn’t have exactly the right spare parts on hand. The defaults she’d packed for emergencies would have to do for now. With their help she at least managed to re-build the base structure of a leg._

_Just when she was about to adjust her handiwork a little, she heard a noise down the street. Blackarachnia turned around quickly, putting herself between the direction she thought she’d heard the sound coming from and Shockwave’s motionless chassis. She strained her optical sensors to the max, but try as she might, she couldn’t make out anything in this darkness. Then someone called her name..._

* * *

“Blackarachnia!”

She flinched. Someone tackled her, throwing her to the side. They rolled around, her ending up on top. _  
_

The muscle car sped by, backlights slowly disappearing into the night. _  
_

Megatron touched down next to them. “Are you alright?“ he asked, bending down to offer them his hands.

“I’m fine,” Blackarachnia snapped, slapping away the hand offered to her and jumping off of Blitzwing.

A whirring sound informed her that Blitzwing had switched.

“You call that fine?” Hothead yelled. He, too, ignored Megatron’s offered hand when he pushed himself onto his pedes. “You froze up like it was december and you still had a crankcase!”

Blackarachnia whirled around, glaring up at Hothead. “I didn’t freeze up! I just...” She paused, stingers on her back twitching. “My Cybertronian parts must have glitched.” _  
_

“Well, you’re evidently not the only one glitching,” Hothead huffed, glaring in the direction the muscle car had disappeared in. “What was that human’s malfunction?” _  
_

* * *

The muscle car drove down the streets. It had dimmed it’s lights for the time being. Inside, a small monsitor lit up, showing images of the three Decepticons that had chased it a few moments ago. _  
_

* * *

Back at the mines, Blackarachnia stared intently onto a screen in fron tof her. It displayed a scan of her stingers. The venom-flow was irregular, but that wasn’t new. There was nothing else out of the ordinary. That should have calmed her down. Instead, the feeling of dread in her tanks only grew. That muscle car had awakened memories. Memories long buried. It send off wanring bells in the back of her processor. She didn’t want them to be right.

“If I’m not mistaken, this marks your tenth self-diagnostic tonight,” someone said behind her.

Blackarachnia turned. Megatron was standing in the doorway, smiling slightly. “How many more will there be?”

“As many as neccessary,” Blackarachnia answered curtly, turning back to the screen.

“Do your stingers bother you that intensely?” Megatron asked.

Blackarachnia stiffened. “Still don’t wanna talk about it.” _  
_

“You should.” She heard Megatron stepping closer. “Believe me, I understand better than anyone the need to surpress the darkness in ones past. But sometimes, it might help to open up. To a friend, or an unbiased third party. You know I am always there if you wish to get something off of your chestplate.”

“Are you done?” Blackarachnia snapped.

Megatron ex-vented. “Apparently I am.” _  
_

She heard him walk out of the room. Part of her felt guilty. She knew he’d only wanted to help. But the part of her that dreaded the possibility of re-living that one solar cycle again, after having successfully buried it for so long wanted to stay put and find something else to blame for what had happened earlier.

Her optics stayed glued to the monitor. Eventually she gave up, switching it off. She crossed her servos and tapped her pede in thought. She should apologize. Perhaps even voice her suspicions. There was nothing to gain from hiding in the med-bay.

Determined to get over herself, she walked out into the tunnels and made her way to the main room.

She heard Professor Black’s voice before she entered to see the group assembled in front of the monitor. He had chosen to settle in the Decepticons’ base, instead of accompanying the rest of the humans, reasoning that if anything were to happen, the Decepticons already knew of a way to “contain” him.

“-so I have been monitoring the local traffic police. And I’ve come across these surveillance recordings.” He had to have done something after that Blackarachnia couldn’t see.

The screen displayed footage from the view of a police drone’s in-built camera, chasing a familiar muscle car. Blackarachnia froze as soon as she saw the dark blue headlights. The omnious glow filled out her vision, until suddenly the walls of the mines were once again replaced with the streets of a small, cybertronian city.

* * *

_Cursing under her breath, Blackarachnia turned back to her patient._

_“Change in plans,” she murmured, although she doubted he could hear her. “We’re moving out now. Sorry in advance for the next part, but I think you’ll agree I’m a little out of options.”_

_She produced a long spider threat and wrapped Shockwave up tightly, giving the string a few tugs to make sure it wouldn’t come off. Then she changed into her spider form, using her hind-legs to lift Shockwave onto her back and secure him there. He was heavier than she’d anticipated and she briefly wondered if that was because he had to compress his true size and mass into this presumably smaller Autobot chassis. She made a mental note to ask him about it later._

_“I’ve got our escape route all mapped out,” she told him, keeping her voice low in case her audio sensor hadn’t been acting up earlier. “Hang in there, I’ll have you home in under an orbital cycle.”_

_Swift as can be she crawled into the narrow street behind her. She would make her way back to the nearest sewer plate, use her string to get herself and Shockwave down and from there it was only a few clicks to her small, but fast ship. If she was lucky, Shockwave should have rebooted himself again once they were on board and she wouldn’t have to spend the long ride home in complete silence. She was rather curious to hear his story._

_What could have possibly been important enough to break off his mission, steal from the Autobot Elite Guard and try to make a run for it on the same orbital cycle? If nothing else, having these questions answered would satisfy her curiosity. If he was even allowed to tell her, she mused._

_She was torn out of her thoughts by the unmistakable click of biolights being activated. Right behind her. Blackarachnia cursed internally. The next moment, a piercing blue light flared up all around her, making her squint and slow down. Fortunately, her training prevented her from stopping in her tracks entirely. It also caused her to come out of her daze way faster than a civilian would have._

_“Go find someone else to play with, Auto-bastard!” she snapped, spitting a sticky spider-threat onto the nearest structure and pulling both her and Shockwave upward. She regretted the decision almost immediately. It was one thing to swing around when she was alone and had all her servos free, it was another thing entirely to be doing it with a Primus knew how many tons heavy fellow Decepticon on her back._

_Both of them ended up smacking against the structures wall far lower and harder than she would have liked._

No time whining over spilled oil _, she thought, clenching her denta when her sensitive belly protested against the rough impact._

_With a determined vent, she started climbing, using two of her hindlegs to check on her passenger. Fortunately, the string securing Shcokwave’s chassis to hers seemed to hold tight for the moment. Dragging him and herself on top of the structure, she took a quick look around. Going into the sewers where she had intended to was not an option anymore. But she was good enough at terrain assessment to relate the structures around her to the map she’d been studying before her departure.  
_

_The area was densely cultivated enough for her to jump from one structure to another, even with Shockwave on her back. The Autobot had no way of following her up here fast enough to see where exactly she went. Taking as much of a run-up as she could with the weight on her back, she jumped onto the structure to her right. Her joints began to ache from the impact but she paid it no mind. She could work out her dents when she was back on the ship._

_Repeating the process a few times, she made her way over Central City, optical and audio sensors sharp. She had no desire to be jumped like that again. Eventually, her internalized map of the area told her she was close to another sewer entrance. It was farther away from the ship than her original access point, but certainly safer to use for now. She carefully crawled down the side of the structure she was currently on, grunting with effort.  
_

_“You owe me big time for this,” she whispered, forelegs scraping as she tried to prevent herself from slipping._

_It became easier to walk when they were back on the ground. Then trickier again, when she had to use her pincers and forelegs to open the duct cover. Then even more tricky when she had to rope Shockwaves’ still motionless form down into the dark, without making too much noise. At least she could climb down in robot-mode this time._

_Her steps seemed to echo unbearably loud on the ladder, only barely drowned out by the sound of muck and oil rushing by. When she had made it all the way down, she took some time to check up on her charge. He was still not fully online. Good for him.  
_

_And then she heard the roar of an engine. Blackarachnia cursed. She transformed back into her spider-form and clumsily heaved Shockwave on her back. When the pursuer came around the corner, she was already scurrying down the pipe. Suddenly, a row of spikes protruded from the ground. If she’s still had tires in her alt-mode, they would have been shredded. As it was, one of her spider-legs merely stepped unlucky, coming directly on top of one of the spikes._

_Blackarachnia hissed in pain, using her seven intact legs to make a turns. She let Shockwave slide off her back. She had no chance of out-running this Autbot with an injured leg and a massive weight on her back. There was no other option but to fight. She transformed into robot-mode, quickly laying a hand on Shockwave’s servo, not letting her optics leave the Autobot.  
_

_He was about a few steps away from both of them. When he saw she had transformed, he stopped and did the same. Blackarachnia clenched her denta. He was taller than her, but a lot of ‘Bots were. There were spikes all over his shoulder-plates and neck. His optics were a strange tint of blue. Not as light as a Decepticons, but not entirely dark either._

_“Now what are you hiding, spider-bot?” he grinned. “Wouldn’t be a Decepticon-double agent by any chance?”  
_

_He raised an arm. His fist came loose, shooting right at her head. Blackarachnia pulled up her arm, hoping that donwloading Shockwave had provided her with something useful. It did. There was now and arm-canon mounted on her servo. One shot and the Autobot’s projectile exploded into tiny pieces._

_Blackarachnia lunged forward, stingers out. She didn’t want to give her opoonent time to recover. Unfortunately, he hadn’t needed it anyway. The Autbot grabber by her unarmed servo and threw her over his hip and on her back, hard._

_He made a disapproving sound, off-set by the ever-present, smug grin on his face-plate. “That all you got? You’re gonna put me to sleep.”  
_

_Blackrachnia glared at him. “I’ll put you to sleep alright.”  
_

_She bent her stingers down on his arms. When he pulled back, she raised her arm cannon and shot at his head. He dodged. The beam his the ceiling instead, making rubble rain down on her. Balckarachna grunted, trying to pull herself out. The Autobot looked down on her triumpahtnly.  
_

_He pulled his intact servo back. The last thing she saw was his fist coming down on her face-plate._

* * *

“Blackarachnia?”

Her optics activated in a snap. Blitzwing was standing in front of her, already in vehicle mode.

“Did you hear what Megatron said? We will be searching the human in the muscle car from the sky.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t throw a rod,” she snapped at him. She rubbed her servo. There was no arm canon.

“Blackarachnia,” Megatron’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “If you feel unwell, you can monitor us with Professor Black from here.”

“I’m fine!” Without waiting for a response, Blackarachnia transformed into her alt-mode and jumped onto Blitzwing. “Let’s ‘rise up’ or whatever.”

She could feel the others were not entirely convinced, even without seeing their face-plates. Her irritation grew. Why couldn’t they just drop it? It was her problem, not theirs.

The Decepticons took off towards the city. It didn’t take them long to find the muscle car again. It wasn’t particularly hiding. When Lugnut spotted it engaged in a police chase, several droned in hot pursuit.

On Megatron’s orders, Lugnut took care of the drones. Megatron flew closer to the ground.

“Human,” he called out to the still dirving car. “This does not have to get violent. We only wish to talk.”

Instead of answering or stopping, the car’s exhauts port released two strange little balls. Upon touching the ground, they released a thick black smoke, clouding the Decepticon’s vision. Megatron barely managed to stop himself after almost ramming into another human vehicle coming down the street.

It’s humand river hit the breaks as soon he saw Megatron’s robot-mode, but couldn’t prevent his vehicle from ramming tino the Decepticon’s leg. Megatron bent down to eye-level with the human.

“I apologize for the damage to your vehicle. I believe something called ‘insurance’ will take care of it?”

The human nodded silently, eyes wide. Megatron gace him what he hoped was an ecouraging smile, then transformed and took off again.

Meanwhile, Blitzwing and Blackarachnia were already on the muscle car’s tail again.

“Lugnut,” Blitzwing called. “We are sending him your way!”

Lugnut’s red biolights flashed up in front of the muscle car.

The car’s hood slid open,and a strange looking contraction rose up from it. It turned to Blitzwing, then to Lugnut, shooting out two strange projectiles while doing so. The two Decepticons had not time to evade. Both of them were hit.

Blackarachnia heard Blitzwing make strange sound underneath her in warning. His vocalizer sounded glitched and slow. Thinking quickly, she shot a thread out to a nearby building and drilled her legs into his armor-plating, just before his engines gave out.

The thread caught them mid-air, enough for Blackarachnia to lower them down to the ground slowly. She jumped off and both her, Blitzwing and Lugnut transformed back into robot-mode.

“Coward!” Lugnut huffed. “Relying on such dirty tricks...”

Blackarachnia didn’t answer. She was staring at nothing in particular, optics wide.

“That car...,” she croaked, slowly wrapping her servos around herself. “That weapon just now...No, it’s impossible!” _  
_

* * *

_She came back online slowly. The first thing she noticed was a strong ache in her stingers. When she tried to move them, pain shot down her back and she hissed. She was lying on a metal floor, the room around her dimly lit. Shockwave was nowhere in sight._

_She scrambled to her feet, still only barely conscious and limped towards the light. It turned out to be a forcefield-door. She was in a cell. Blackarachnia fought down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her at the realization. If the Autobot wanted to kill her, he’d had every opportunity to do so while she was in stasis._

_She was still online. And since the Autobot had shown an interest in Shockwave, he probably was, too. They could still escape. She laid her servo on the field, only to retract it immediately when it shocked her._

_“Those copy-powers of yours won’t work here,” a familiar amused voice informed her. “That’s a modified stasis field. Organic or not, touching it’s gonna sting pretty bad.”  
_

_The Autobot stepped in front of her cell, grinning. He had replaced the hand she’d destroyed with a hook._

_Blackarachnia glared at him, hands curling into fists. “You Autobot-bastard!” she spat._

_The Autobot chuckled. “Oh, I’m not one of them. Name’s Lockdown. I’m what you’d call... a bounty hunter.“ Lockdown took another step forward to allow her a good view of his chest insignia. Or lack thereof. Where a faction-insignia would normally be was nothing but empty space and a black spot. “Autobots pay real good for info,” he continued in a conversational tone, leaning on the wall. “Battle plans, access codes. Your friend should net me some sweet upgrades.”  
_

_Blackarachnia kept glowering at him, but mentally she made an ex-vent of relief. So Shockwave was still alive.  
_

_Lockdown’s voice pulled her attention back. “Of course you know what I really live for.“ His grin widened. There was something in it that she didn’t like at all. Apart from everything else. “Hunting trophies. Now you didn’t really have anything, being a part-organic freak and all.” He pulled out a flask containing a deep purple liquid. Blackarachnia felt her tanks freeze at the sight of it. “But that cyber venom of yours? Not too shabby either.”  
_

_She suddenly felt very ill. Her stingers. He had.. he had..._

* * *

The sound of an all too familiar engine pulled her back to reality. She saw Megatron fly over the roofs in his vehicle mode. She doubted he would hear her if she called out to him now. She would have to try and catch up to him before he caught up with the ‘muscle car’. Blackarachnia shot a string up to a near-bay roof and pulled herself up, not even hearing Blitzwing calling after her.

Megatron had caught up to the muscle car in the meantime. He landed in front of it, blocking it’s way and transformed back into robot-mode.

“I belive that is enough damage for one night,” he said, coldly looking down at the car. “Now please, step out of your vehicle human.”

“Just one problem,” A metallic voice responded. The car jerked up. Two legs formed, followed by a torso and a head, smirking. “I am the vehicle.”

Megatron’s optics went wide. “Lockdown?”

“The same,” Lockdown grinned, lifting his right arm. A strange gun rose out of his upper servo. Before Megatron could react, a strange vial-like projectle shot out of the weapon, hitting him square in the chest-plate.

Megatron made a glitched noise. He dropped down to his knees and collapsed.

“But save the reunion-talk until we get to my ship,” Lockdown said, stepping over and pulling Megatron’s limp body over his shoulders.

Blackarachnia saw what was happening when she touched down on the street. She raced towards Lockdown and Megatron. Lockdown turned around to her. A hidden compartment in his chest-plate opened, dropping two of his smoke balls. Him and Megatron were obscured from view in seconds.

Blackarachnia ran into the smoke desperately trying and failing to make out two shapes in it. When the smoke dispersed, she was alone on the street.

She shook, gripping her helm with her hands. “Megatron... no...” _  
_

* * *

“My scans show no signs of Megatron or the muscle car,” Starscream said.

His servos were crossed and he was tapping his pede. Both signs that he was anxious, Blackarachnia knew. Understandable. She felt like her armor-plating would crack from all the tension in her body. And her and Megatron weren’t nearly as close as Starscream and Megatron were.

When the rest of the team had arrived at her location, she had told them in quick, short sentences what had happened.

“How does a human just disappear with Megatron and mask his energy signature?” Blitzwing asked no one in particular.

Lugnut turned to look at Blackarachnia, his single optic unreadable. “Would you happen to have an answer to that, Blackarachnia? You saw him last.”

Blackarachnia flinched. “How should I know?” she snapped, fingers gripping her arms even tighter. “I’m a medi-bot, not a field commander!”

The others stared at her in surprise.

“Is there something you are not telling us about this human?” Blitzwing asked.

Unwanted images flashed before her optics: The cell, the vial with her venom that he’d stolen, Shockwave...

“It’s not a human,” Blackarachnia said slowly. “And it’s not a car. It’s an Autobot, sorta. His name’s Lockdown. He captured me while I was on an undercover extraction-mission lots of stellar cycles ago. He’s... the one responsible for this.” She gestured to her bent stingers. “He’s a bounty hunter. Delivers ‘Cons like us to the Autbots in exchange for upgrades. And takes our personal modifications as trophies.”

* * *

While Blackarachnia told her story, many miles away Lockdown stepped onto the main room of his ship. He was content. The hunt and extraction had gone off without a hitch.

He walked over to the berth he’d laid Megatron on. The Deception was a great deal bigger and stronger than his usual bounties. But the carbonfiber cables holding his arms and legs to the berth could have held a raging warframe for stellar cycles.

Megatron was online, but didn’t struggle like most who had found themselves in his position. His optics just wandered around the room, as if looking for something. Or someone. When he noticed Lockdown had entered, those optics turned to look at him.

“Why?” Megatron asked. “You aided us back in the Great War. What happened?”

Lockdown shrugged, crossing his servos. “Times are changing Megatron. The ‘Bots started to crack down harder on any ‘sympathizers’ to you ‘Cons. I’m just doing what I have to to stay online. And to get the upgrades to help keep me stay online.” He hesitated for a second. “For what it’s worth, it’s nothing personal. I always liked you, Megatron. You were one of the few mechs who put their credit chits were their intake was.”

Megatron snorted. “I’m flattered. I suppose that admiration is the reason my swords are gone?”

Lockdown chuckled. “Ah, you noticed huh?”

He walked over to one of the shelves on the wall. Dozens of modifications and trophies were arranged on the boards, each from a different bounty. Lockdown didn’t need to search long. He knew his trophies well. Giving an almost rueful smirk, he pulled out two long-swords.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I’ll send them back later. Y’know, leave your ‘Cons something to mourn ya’ with.”

“They will find you before you even leave this planet,” Megatron said, optics hard.

Lockdown put the swords away. “Good. I could use some spare parts.“ _  
_

* * *

Blitzwing, Starscream, Lugnut and Blackarachnia touched donw on the ground again, transforming back into their robot-modes.

“We have been searching for mega cycles,” Blitzwing said disheartened. “Where in the world could they be?”

Blackarachnia snarled, fists shaking. “How did I not see it? Lockdown was chasing us the whole time! Hiding in plain sight. And we bought it, bulk, cable and-”

“Wait!” Starscream interrupted. His optics had lit up. “Hiding in plain sight... That’s the answer!” He put a hand to his helm to activate his comlink. “Professor Black, could you overlay the sattelite image of Old Detroit my scan produced with an older one?”

“Of course,” Professor Black answered. “Just let me call up the map from three days ago... huh, that’s strange. There’s a warehouse on your scan that wasn’t there before. Is that of any help?”

“It most certainly is!” Starscream said. “Thank you, professor.”

“A holographic cloak...” Blackarachnia said quietly, optics wide.

Starscream nodded, expression having turned grim. “Masking the bounty hunter’s ship, no doubt. Clever.”

Blitzwing’s faceplate switched to Hothead. “Not clever enough!” Hothead grinned, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s go kick his tailfins in!”

Him, Starscream and Lugnut transformed into their vehicle modes. Blackarachnia stayed where she was.

“I...” she looked down on the ground, arms wrapped around herself again. “I can’t go back there.”

“Are your circuits crossed?” Lugnut shouted. “That scum has our leader!”

Blackarachnia didn’t answer. She couldn’t look at any of them.

“No time to argue,” she heard Starscream say. Her spark sank at the barely hidden disappointment in his voice.

Their engines activated and when she finally found the courage to look back up, they were already disappearing into the night sky. _  
_

* * *

“You have the leader of the Decepticon rebellion?” Sentinel Prime’s faceplate was full of disbelief.

“Sure do,” Lockdown responded, leaning back in his chair to look up at the monitor. “And I hope your payment’s gonna be proportionate to the occasion.”

Sentinel Prime frowned. “You will get your upgrades, bounty hunter. So long as I get results. Though I am surprised you would sell Megatron out in this manner, considering your history with the Decepticon-faction.”

Lockdown’s grin dropped and he leaned forward. “My reasoning’s none of your concern. Just send me the coordinates I can deliver him to and have my reward ready.”

He ended the call before Sentinel could say anything else. _  
_

* * *

Starscream, Blitzwing and Lugnut landed a few feet away from the false warehouse’s ccordinates, changing back into robot-mode as they did so.

Starscream looked up at the ‘building’, frowning. “Lockdown is smart. We have to be smarter. Be careful when apporaching.”

“To the pit with that,” Lugnut snarled. “Let us seize the traitor!”

Before Blitzwing or Starscream could stop him, he charged at the warehouse with a fierce battle-cry, explosives-servo raised.

* * *

The alarms inside the ship blared. Lockdown observed the camrea footage on his monitor, showing the three Decepticons outside.

“For a race built for fightin’ you’re predictable as ever,” he told them. He pressed a few buttons on the control panel, then headed outside, readjusting his hook.

* * *

Outside, laser-guns rose out from the false building’s roof, firing at the approaching Decepticons.

Starscream and Blitzwing barely dodged the first few shots. Blitzwing hissed in pain when one of the laser-projectiles hit his left wing.

Starscream propelled himself into the air, skillfully dodging the barrage. Quickly he touched down behind on of the canons, then cut it loose with his claws and shot down the remaining canons.

Lugnut had barely noticed the bombardment. He stubbornly charged for the wall, trampling one of the downed guns without even realizing. He crashed through the wall and into a dark room.

A pair of dark-blue biolights flared up at the other side of the room.

“Come to face your punishment, traitor?” Lugnut growled, readying his explosive.

Lockdown transformed into robot-mode. “Bring it on, Decepticon,” he said, raising his arms.

Lugnut roared and ran forward bringing his arm down on Lockdown. Lockdown jumped aside. Lugnut’s arm hit the wall behind him. The explosive set off, thrpwing him backwards. Lugnut goraned, trying to push himself back up, only to be surrounded by a thick, black fog.

“You think this can hurt me?” Lugnut shouted into the nothingness.

Lockdown appeared at the edge of his vision, dark-blue optics piercing through the fog. “Don’t have to hurt you.”

The fog spread and solidifed, trapping Lugnut in place. Lugnut roared in anger, trying to tear himself free. “Coward! Fight like a Decepticon!”

But Lockdown had already exited the room.

* * *

Blitzwing patrolled the perimeter, sensors at their all-time high. He flinched, whe he heard Lockdown’s engine. Looking around, he saw the bounty hunter’s vehicle mood sped past a nerbay corner.

“I have optics on the bounty hunter,” he called over comlink, transforming into his jet-mode.

He tailed Lockdown through several streets. Hothead took control, changing their vehicle mode from jet to tank.

“You can’t run from me forever, Autobot-scum!” he shouted, turning his canon on Lockdown. A stream of fire shot out of the barrel. Lockdown swerved sideways, narrowly avoiding it.

As if in response, Lockdown transformed his the right door of his vehicle back into an arm, hand clutching a familiar sword.

The tank halted for a moment. “That is Megatron‘s sword!”

Lockdown cut through a nearby pipe on a building. Oil spilled out onto the street. Hothead’s treads slipped, causing him to spin around. He crashed into a nearby wire fence. The impact made him transform into robot-mode, throwing him onto his back, hard. Hothead groaned in pain.

Lockdown appeared in his vision, sword still in hand. “M-hm. Megatron’s sword. And soon I’ll have your flame-thrower.”

He raised the sword over his helm, preparing to cut Hothead’s canon off. He heard a noise behind him. Lockdown whipped around, just in time to see a metal elbow coming towards him.

Starscream rammed into the bounty hunter, throwing him away from Hot head. He landed right between the two, putting his body in front of Hothead. His optics were deadset on Lockdown.

Lockdown stumbled back to his pedes, laughing and rubbing the soot from his face-plate. “Almost forgot about you. Figures Megatron’s number two’d be just as scrappy as him. Gotta say, I’m impressed, Starscream. Been eons since anybody got the drop on me.”

Starscream smirked. “Next time will be much sooner.”

He raised his arm and shot a null-ray at Lockdown. Lockdown blocked it with the sword in his hand, then transformed his left arm into a chainsaw and lunged at Starscream. Starscream dodged his first two strikes, then got both of Lockdown’s wrists. He transformed his intake into the sonic canon and shot Lockdown right in the chest, propelling him onto a scrap-heap.

Lockdown pushed himself up, glaring at Starscream, who was holding Megatron’s stolen sword in his hand. Starscream walked over to him, then grabbed his chainsaw servo and yanked him up, bringing them face-plate to face-plate.

“Where is Megatron?” he asked, voice dangerously low and optics narrowing.

Lockdown grinned at him. “You’ll see him very soon.”

Starscream frowned, then flinched. He looked down. Lockdown was holding a strange gun to his chest-plate. A small vial, obviously just fired from the same gun, was sticking out of it, now almost empty. Starscream felt numbness spread to his limbs. He dropped Lockdown and passed out. _  
_

“You still got it Starscream. Always liked your style,” Lockdown told him, rubbing his wrist. “You and I could probably teach each other a few tricks.” His smirk widened and he reached for the sword. “If I wasn’t about to, you know. Hand you over to the Autobots.”

“Step away from the Decepticon.”

Lockdown turned around. Blackarachnia was standing in the entrance to the alleyway. Her optics were steely.

“Wait, I know you,” Lockdown said, tapping the gun in his servo. “My handy little venom, right? I’m not good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy. How’re the old stingers? Still dented?”

Blackarachnia glared at him, gritting her denta.

Lockdown chuckled. “Maybe I should break’em off for good this time. Seems to me they're not much use to you know anyways.”

“You’ll never take another trophy from a Decepticon ever again,” Blackarachnia said coldly, sliding into a fighting position.

“No?” Lockdown asked. “Who’s gonna stop me?”

Blackarachnia held his gaze. “Me.” _  
_

Lockdown snorted. “You couldn’t stop an oil leak! But don’t worry. I got all I wanted from you a long time ago.” _  
_

Blackarachnia screamed and threw herself at Lockdown. Lockdown merely raised the strange gun and shot. The vial hit her straight in the chest-plate, Blackarachnia made a glitched sound, then collapsed.

Lockdown huffed in amusement. “Now that was just sad.” He turned around to leave, but then suddenly felt something wrap itself around his pede. He looked down just in time to see a white thread before he was aprubtly thrown into the air and against a wall. He jumped up, only to see Blakcarachnia standing across frm him, seemingly unfazed.

“What the-?” He exclaimed. “I shut you down!”

He hastily pulled up the gun and fired another shot. Blackarachnia raised a servo and easily caught the vial in her hand, crushing it. Before Lockdown had time to react, she opened her intake and transformed it into a smaller version of Starscream’s sonic-gun, taking a straight shot at Lockdown and hitting him square in the chest-plate.

He flew backwards, hitting a nearby streetlamp with a yelp and crushed down on the ground.

“Humans call it playing possum,” Blackarachnia said, walking over to him. "Don’t ask me what a possum is.”

She opened her intake again, shooting a clump of thread and pinning his body to the ground.

“I guess it never occurred to you that the venom wouldn’t work on the one ‘Con who produced it,” she told him bitterly.

When she was sure he couldn’t get up again, she turned and ran over to the ‘warehouse’. There was only one door and it was several times smaller than her. She wouldn’t fit, even in her spider-form.

“Think,” she mumbled to herself, feeling the walls around the door. “It’s a ship. There’s an air lock, not a door.”

Her hand brushed over a strange bump where only smooth wall should be. She gripped into it and pulled. The area around the door tore off, revealing an air lock just about two helms taller and wider than her. The ‘bump’ turned out to be a panel for access. Blackarachnia pressed her palm against it and activated her download.

The access protocols flooded into her processor and back into the panel. A siren sounded from inside and the air lock opened to a dark hallways. Blackarachnia looked into the nothingness in front of her. She vented deeply, then stepped inside.

For a while there was only her and the silence of the horribly familiar ship. Memories came back to her and every time they did, she supressed them just as quickly.

She heard Lockdown brag about how good Autbots payed for info. She heard her own voice, desperately calling Shockwave’s name. The worst was the memory of Shockwave’s own pleading voice, asking her to-

There was another door in front of her. Blackarachnia tore herself out of her thoughts and picked up her pace. The door opened to admit her into a larger room, illuminated only by a few ceiling lights. They shone down onto a wide berth. And tied to it was-

“Megatron!” Blackarachnia exclaimed.

Megatron raised his helm, weakly, as if he had trouble moving. “Blackarachnia?”

She ran over to his side and pressed a button on a panel next to the berth. The cables holding Megatron down reatreated: Megatron pushed himself up into a sitting position, grimacing slightly. Blackarachnia felt a mixture of shame and anger. Lockdown had used another venom dart to make sure Megatron couldn’t escape while he fought off the rest of them.

She pulled her emergency-scanner out of her storage compartment. “Hold still,” she told Megatron, letting the scanner wander over his upper body. “And don’t try to talk. I need to make some adjusments.”

Warning sirnes started blaring through the room. The ground underneath them started to shake.

Blackarachnia cursed. “Launch sequence starting. We gotta move!”

She pulled Megatron off the berth and onto his pedes. He was leaning onto her heavily, but still doing his best to walk. They made their way over to the door. Just as she was about to reach out to the panel, the door slid open, revealing Lockdown. _  
_

He grabbed her around the neck, pulled her out of Megatron’s grip and threw her across the room before she could react. Blackarachnia crashed into one of the shelves, trophies flaiing down aroudn her.

“Playing possum, huh?” she heard Lockdown snicker through her daze. “Gotta remember that one.” _  
_

* * *

Outside, Blitzwing was treated to a rude awakening when the ground started to shake under him.

He gave a pained groan, pushing himself up and putting a hand to his still aching helm.

“Why do I have the feeling I will not like what I am about to see?” he mumbled to himself, looking up. The warehouse in front of him folded in on itself, revealing a I-G 200 class starship. The ship lifted off the ground and into the sky.

Blitzwing ex-vented. “I knew it.” _  
_

* * *

Blackarachnia jumped to her pedes. Using the last of her download, she brought out the sonic gun in her intake and fired at Lockdown. Lockdown dodged and pulled out Megatron’s sword, preparing to swipe at her. Blakcarachnia flinched and stumbled backwards, falling onto her back.

Lockdown placed his pede on her mid-section and grinned down at her, sword raised. “Y’know, I’m really starting to warm up to those copy-powers and strings of yours. Pitiy you're a half-organic freak. Maybe those mods would’ve even been worth clearing some space on the trophy case.“

Blackarachnia glared up at him. “You like trohpies?” She bent her helm backwards and spat a long thread onto the nearby shelf. “Have your fill!”

Before Lockdown could react, she grabbed onto the threat and pulled. The shelf collided with Lockdown, pushing him off of her and burying him underneath it. He let go of the sword in the process. Blackarachnia caught it by the handle when it fell, getting back up and walking over to Lockdown.

“Time was I would have used my venom to end this fight painlessly,” she said icily, watching him writhe in pain. “Too bad I can’t dose it properly anymore, huh?”

She turned to get Megatron, when she heard a giltched noise coming from Lockdown. When she looked at him he was raising his hook-servo. The strange gun, the one he’d used her venom with, rose out of his arm.

“Cyber venom,” he rasped, looking at her with pleading optics. “Use it. Please... please!”

She stared at him. His words were familar. Terribly familiar.

* * *

_As soon as the bounty hunter was gone, she started to search her cell. It didn’t take her long to find a spot next to the door close enough to the control panel for a partial download. A few nanokliks later and she was sneaking down the ship's hallway._

_Voices in the distance led her to a bigger room. Light spilled out from underneath the door._

_“You must have some primo-info in that processor, spy-con,” she heard Lockdown say. “Cause you’re gonna get interrogated by Ultra Magnus himself. Now don’t go anywhere. I have to set up the call.”  
_

_She jumped up to cling to the ceiling just in time before the door slid open. Lockdown walked out, fiddling with a device on his wrist. She waited until he disappeared down the hallway, then jumped down and quickly entered the room.  
_

_Shockwave was tied to an up-right standing berth. He looked tired and in pain. The proto-leg she’d assembled for his destroyed one seemed wrong on him. He perked up when he heard her enter._

_“Blackarachnia?”  
_

_She motioned for him be quiet, and threw a quick look back at the door. Lockdown wasn’t coming. She hurried over to Shockwave and started to pull on the cables tying him down._

_“What are you doing?” he asked._

_“What’s it look like?” she hissed. “I’m getting you out of here!”  
_

_Shockwave shook his helm. “There is no time! He will be back any nanoklik.”  
_

_“Well, I’m not leaving here without you!” she snapped up at him. Her servos started to shake. “I’m not leaving you here.”  
_

_Shockwave shook his helm again. “Your stingers. Use a heavy dosage. Destroy my memory core.”  
_

_“What?” Blackarachnia stared at him, horrified. “Shockwave, no-”  
_

_“Blackarachnia, the access codes I’ve loaded into my processor are crucial for the Decepticon’s continued survival!“ Shockwave’s voice was pleading. “We can’t allow Ultra Magnus to get them back!”  
_

_Blackarachnia hesitated. It would take her more time than she had to get through these cables. But her stingers were still hurting and she had no doubt Lockdown had damaged them when he had extracted venom from her. Was she even able to produce venom anymore? And if so, how could she use it to hurt a fellow Decepticon?_

_“Blackarachnia,” Shockwave said, looking at her with imploring optics. “Please!”  
_

_In that moment, they both heard steps outside the door. Blackarachnia gulped, then nodded. She laid her servos on Shckwave’s shoulderplate and lowered her stingers, flinching. It felt like she was trying to move a damaged servo._

_She knew something was wrong as soon as she started to insert the venom into Shockwave’s body. Instead of a steady flow, the venom rushed through her stingers all at once. When it seeped into Shockwave’s systems he jerked and then screamed in pain._

_“Shockwave!”  
_

_Blackarachnia pulled her stingers back immediately, but it was too late. Shockwave had stopped screaming. He was hanging limply from the berth, optics having offlined themselves. The blue orb on his upper faceplate had gone dark._

_Blackarachnia started shaking._

_“Shockwave...?” she asked, voice sounding strangely small in her audials._

_Instinctively, she scanned his body. She couldn’t pick up an energy signature._

_“No...,” she whispered. She stepped back from the berth, shaking.  
_

_“What the-?!”  
_

_She whipped around. Lockdown was standing in the door. She didn’t give him the chance to react. Blackarachnia dove right under his grabbing servos, running out into the hallway and out of the ship._

_Later she wouldn’t remember how she managed to find her own ship. Or how she made it home to New Kaon. All she would remember was Shockwave’s lifeless body._

* * *

In the present, Blackarachnia glowered down at Lockdown. She curled her hands into fist so tightly they shook.

“You want me,” she said, slowly apporaching Lockdown. “To use that venom to make your pain go away?”

Lockdown grabbed one of his ‘trophies’ , a whip, from the ground and swung it at her. Blackarachnia caught the lash in mids.air, then stomped on the shelves lying on top of him, hard.

Lockdown screamed, letting go of the whip.

Blackarachnia leaned down to him. “I used that venom for medical purposes,” she told him, voice shaking with rage. “Thanks to you it’s nothing more than a weapon now.”

She grabbed the gun still mounted on his servo and ripped it off. Lockdown roared in agony, thrashing around but unable to free himself. Blackarachnia slid open a panel on her own wrist and attached the gun to it. She turned around and shot a vial at the nearby control panel.

“No!” she heard Lockdown shout behind her.

The panel threw sparks. The ship lurched. Lockdown, unable to grab onto anything, was thrown against a wall.

“That was for Shockwave,” Blackarachnia hissed.

She ran over to Megatron. He was barely online, but he moved when she pulle dhim to his pedes. Together they ran to the exit. Blackarachnia slammed her fist into the panel. The door opened, allowing Blackarachnia to see just how far above the ground her and Megatron were.

“No turning back now,” she mumbled.

She jumped down, pulling Megatron with her. When they came to building-level, she fired several threats at a nearby roof, wrapping them around herself and Megatron.

“Hold on, Megatron,” she shouted over the wind. “That’s gonna hurt a little!”

The strings holding them pulled taught a few meters over the concrete, aprubtly halting their fall. Then it snapped, resulting in them both painfully landing on the ground with a smack. _  
_

Due to the venom still preventing Megatron from more complicated movement, and the rest of the Decepticons too far away they had to walk back to the mines. Slowly and painfully.

* * *

Blackarachnia finished her medical scan and stuffed the scanner back into her compartment.

“How are you healing?” she asked Megatron.

When they had finally arrived in the mines in the morning, she had ushered him into the medbay right away. The others hadn’t come back yet. Professor Black had been worried when he’d seen them pass by, but Blackarachnia had managed to put his questions off for later, reasoning that she would have to see if Megatron had sustained any injuries from his time with Lockdown or her rescue attempt.

He hadn’t, but she had scanned him anyway, just to be sure.

“The venom is almost out of my systems,” Megatron replied, briefly letting a servo hover over the spot in which Lockdown tranquilized him. “But I am grateful you took the time to look over me.”

Blackarachnia shook her helm. “Not what I meant.”

Megatron ex-vented. “Let us just say I have a better understanding what you went through stellar cycles ago. And why you do not wish to talk about it"

Blackarachnia flinched.

“Actually,” she said, crossing her servos and looking down on the floor. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just... not easy for me. To remember. But maybe I should.” A little quieter she added: "He deserved better than this."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Megatron was smiling at her softly.

“Then I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk about at least parts of it sometimes? With a trusted friend?”

Blackarachnia hesitated. Then she ex-vented and let her servos drop to her sides. “What do you want to know?” _  
_


End file.
